


The Long And Winding Road

by MissHalieW



Series: The Long and Winding Road series [1]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: AU, F/M, Friendship, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-18
Updated: 2017-12-08
Packaged: 2018-12-03 14:17:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 66,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11533971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissHalieW/pseuds/MissHalieW
Summary: AU where Oliver and Felicity knew each other before the island.OLIVER QUEEN ALIVE.Three little words that sent Felicity Smoak's world spinning upside down.





	1. OLIVER QUEEN ALIVE

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Arrow multi-chapter story. I have about half of it written. I started it about two years ago and recently came back to it. So we'll see how this goes.

It was just another day at QC; I was fixing a laptop that belonged to one of the higher ups who either called or dropped by every ten minutes, checking my progress. 

When I heard somebody clear their throat from my doorway, I didn't even bother looking up.

“I’m still not finished.” I mumbled

“Take a break then.” I glanced up at sound of my best friend’s voice, finding him grinning at me, a look on his face that usually led to nothing but trouble. 

“Hey.” I greeted

"Felicity." Tommy beamed

"Tommy.." I replied, confused as to why he was standing in front of my desk looking happier than I had seen in years.

"You didn't hear?" Tommy asked

"Hear what?" I replied, leaning back in my chair.

Tommy walked around my desk, and leaned over my shoulder, typing something quickly.

I shot straight up at the headline; **OLIVER QUEEN ALIVE**. My heart started beating faster. _How_?

"What? How? He's...alive? After all this time?" I stuttered, barely able to form a sentence.

Oliver Queen alive? How had he survived? Where had he been? These were all question I wanted to ask but my mouth wasn't cooperating with my brain.

"It's true. Moira is at the hospital with him right now. They found him on an island. I don't know much else." Tommy answered; the grin on his face never fading. Oliver Queen was alive and he had his best friend back. I couldn't blame him for his smile.

"That's really great." I stated

"I'm going to the Queen house. You should come." Tommy suggested 

"No." I responded instantly. 

"Felicity...he sh-" I raised my hand to stop Tommy mid-sentence.

"Tommy, I am a girl he occasionally hooked up with. He should be with family, his best friend." I replied; I didn’t believe what I was saying completely. Yes, I was a girl that he occasionally hooked up with, but I had come to realize that while Oliver cheated on Laurel all the time, he was almost never with the same person twice and he never actually took them out. But he did with me. We were together more times than I could count and he took me out. Out to dinner. Flying me to Coast City for a weekend away. Those things had to mean something.

Tommy was about to protest but I wasn't hearing it.

"You can't tell him about...everything that happened after he was gone. Please." I begged

"He deserves to know." Tommy stated

"Does Laurel deserve to know that Oliver was cheating on her with not only her sister, but also her now step-sister? And that said step-sister has hid this fact for six years? Or, better yet, does he deserve to know his best friend and his girlfriend have been sleeping together?” I hated bringing it up but I knew it would work.

"Fine." Tommy grumbled

"Now, go see your best friend." I motioned towards the door.

Tommy left and I sighed, rubbing my face. For so long, I held out hope he was alive somewhere, somehow, but after five years, the hope had disappeared. I had finally come to terms with it, truly moved on, and now he was back. And I was happy he was alive, that his family, that Tommy, would have him back. I just knew he would bring drama into my life again. Drama followed Oliver Jonas Queen everywhere. 

 

"Welcome home." Ray greeted me as I stepped inside our townhouse later that day; it had been a long day. Nobody at the office actually accomplished anything, everybody was too busy gossiping about the return of Oliver Queen. It had made for a long day.

I didn't say anything, going straight to his arms, wrapping mine around his waist.

"I saw the news. Did you go see him?" Ray asked; I felt a pang of guilt because if I had ever told him the truth, that Oliver had been more than a friend, Ray probably wouldn't want me going to see him.

"No." I replied

"Why not?" Ray asked

"I'm sure he's just spending with his family right now." I replied

"Do you know where he's been?" Ray asked

"Not really. An island off the China sea, I think." I answered

"God, I can't even imagine...Five years stranded on an island. Must've been awful." Ray acknowledged 

"I'm sure it was." I agreed

"His family must be so happy." Ray remarked

I thought of Moira, who I had only seen twice since Oliver's disappearance but genuinely scared me, and Thea. Poor Thea, she had spun out of control over the past few years, and I couldn't blame her; she had lost her father and brother at just twelve. I knew Tommy had kind of taken over the big brother role, always watching out for her and trying to keep her out of trouble, but maybe now that Oliver was home, she'd snap out of it.

"Mommy!" My daughter's voice snapped me out of my trance as she came running towards me. 

"Lexi!" I exclaimed, picking up my little ray of sunshine. 

"What's for dinner?" Alexandra asked

The thought of cooking was just too much.

"How about we order pizza?" Ray suggested, sensing what I was thinking.

"Yes!" Alexandra exclaimed 

"Here, go to daddy. I'll order the food." I handed her over to Ray.

I ordered the pizza and then took Alexandra upstairs to get changed when my phone rang. It wasn’t the first time Caitlin had called and I figured it was time for me to answer it.

“Finally!” Caitlin exclaimed

“It’s been a busy day, Cait.” I stated as I reached Alexandra’s bedroom. 

“It’s everywhere on the news. Have you seen him?” Caitlin asked, causing me to momentarily think of the last time I had seen Oliver, the morning he had gotten on his father’s yacht. I shook my head, willing my thoughts away. 

“No, and I’m not going to.” I stated, opening the dresser, looking for Alexandra’s favorite pajamas; a Minnie Mouse sleeveless sleepdress with a hood that she loved to pull up and run around the house, pretending to be a ninja. 

“Felicity, you were devastated when he disappeared. All you talked about was wanting him to come home. And now he is, and you’re not going to see him?” Caitlin asked

I sighed as I handed Alexandra her pajamas, pointing her towards the bathroom.

“Cait, I have a family now. A little girl, a man that I’m going to be marrying in a few months. I’m not the same person I was then.” I stated 

“Yes, a lot has happened. Don’t you want to tell him about that?” Caitlin asked

“I think Oliver has enough going on right at the moment. He needs time to adjust.” I replied

“I just think you’re going to regret it if you don’t go see him.” I could practically feel her disapproving look through the phone.

“I’m doing what I think is best. That’s all I can do.” I sighed

“Okay, I’m trusting your judgement. I’ve gotta go back to work, so I’ll talk to you later.” Caitlin replied

“Work? Isn’t it a bit late?” I asked

“Well, yes, but you know me.” Caitlin answered

“I do. I’ll talk to you soon.” I hung up as Alexandra emerged from the bathroom, hood up, her wavy, dark locks still visible. 

“Can we watch Brave?” She asked

I sighed. We watched Brave almost every day, and after a while, I had grown really sick of it. Even though I liked that Merida wasn’t the usual Disney princess, that she didn’t need a prince to save the day, and I thought that was an important message for little girls, one could really only watch the same movie so many times before it got old. 

“Sure.” I answered

An hour later, I was on the couch, leaning against Ray's shoulder as we watched Brave for the umpteenth time, munching on a breadstick, while Alexandra sat on the floor in front of the TV, transfixed.

After such a weird day, normal felt good. I still kept thinking about everything going on, but at least I could sit on my couch with my fiancée and daughter and pretend everything was normal and that nothing had changed in the last twenty four hours.

 

Three short days later, I was standing outside a popular club, staring the sign welcoming all to “Oliver Queen’s Welcome Home Bash”.

I reminded myself to take a few deep breaths to calm my nerves, suddenly glad Ray had to work late and wouldn’t be joining me until later. It would’ve been hard to explain why I was so nervous.

There was an actual red carpet rolled out, a sign that Tommy was the one in charge; it was so over the top, but I had easily walked right past it. None of the camera men cared to get pictures of me, a nobody, unless Ray was with me.

“Felicity Smoak.” I told the bouncer.

“Welcome, Miss Smoak.” He replied as he checked my name off the list.

I stepped inside and looked around the ballroom; the entrance was on the second story, so I was looking down into the crowd. It was seemed to be mostly scantily clad women. The decor was over the top and the alcohol was already flowing, clearly. It was definitely being thrown by none other than Tommy Merlyn; only Tommy would throw a welcome home party when, from what Tommy had told me, it sounded more like Oliver needed an appointment with a shrink. 

I made my way down the staircase and made a beeline for the bar, managing to go unnoticed by Tommy, the only person in the crowd I actually knew, from what I had seen.

“Can I get a Manhattan, please?” I asked one of the many bartenders behind the counter as I sat down, placing my black clutch in front of me on the bar.

I had just taken my first drink when the music cut off and I heard Tommy’s voice.

“Everybody, hey!”

I turned towards the staircase, my breath catching in my throat; Oliver Queen was really alive and in the same room as me.

“Man of the hour!” The crowd cheered and I found myself cheering along with them without even realizing it.

He looked different, of course, his hair was now buzzed and he looked older, his face more defined, his smile seemed a little less genuine, but my god, he was still every bit as beautiful as he had been five years ago.

“Ladies, please give this man a proper homecoming!” Tommy’s words caused me to roll my eyes, and then We Are The Champions started and I rolled them again. Tommy really was an over the top guy. 

Tommy lead Oliver through the crowd to a pedestal, and I watched as Oliver climbed up and Tommy handed him a shot glass and Oliver quickly chugged it down.

“I missed Tequila!” Oliver shouted 

I shook my head, turning back to the bar.

Even over the music, I could hear Tommy and Oliver talking at the bar, a few chairs over. I couldn't hear their whole conversation but I gathered that it was Tommy telling Oliver he needed to get laid and recommending somebody. Which was gross even for Tommy. And when I snuck glances over at them, Oliver seemed more preoccupied watching his drunk little sister on the dance floor, than with what Tommy was saying. 

Eventually Oliver made his way through the crowd to her, and in the way only Thea Queen knew how, she caused a scene before storming off. 

As Oliver made his way back to the bar, I looked down, wanting to go unnoticed. He was right next to me, ordering a drink, and I knew if he looked over, he would recognize me. My dyed blonde hair wasn't going to stop that.

I was watching him out of the corner of my eye, and it wasn't until the bartender handed him his drink that he looked in my direction. He did a double take and his eyes went wide. I plastered a smile on face, ready to greet him.

"Felicity?" His voice was borderline disbelieving. 

I looked up, turning towards him.

"Yours truly. I mean, not yours, yours..." I internally cringed at my babbling.

"Well, it's nice to know some things never change." Oliver teased as he leaned in for a hug. 

I could tell he was wearing some kind of expensive cologne, but that wasn’t what I struck me; I could feel even through his suit how muscular he was, much more than he was before. I wondered for a second what he would look like shirtless but quickly pushed the thought out of my mind.

“I can’t believe you’re blonde. What happened to my goth girl?” Oliver asked

“Well, five years changes a lot.” I instinctively brushed my hair back.

“Indeed. You’re married?” Oliver asked, nodding towards my ring.

“Oh. No, I’m not. Not yet anyways. I’m engaged.” I replied

“Who’s the lucky guy?” Oliver asked

“Ray. Ray Palmer.” I answered

“Palmer Tech?” Oliver inquired 

“That’s him. He’s supposed to be here soon.” I smiled

“I’m glad you’re happy, Felicity. You always deserved better than me.” Oliver’s voice sounded sad

“Oliver..I di-” I stopped mid-sentence as I saw Ray approaching. 

"Hey sweetie, sorry I'm late." Ray greeted me, kissing me quickly. 

"Oliver, this is my fiancée, Ray Palmer. Ray, this is Oliver Queen." I made the pointless introduction. 

They exchanged greetings that seemed as awkward as I felt, and Oliver's attention quickly seemed to wander. Following his line of sight, I quickly figured out why. Laurel had arrived.  I could sense Oliver's surprise, an emotion I shared about Laurel coming to this bash; she hadn't been quiet about how she felt about Oliver after the shipwreck. She had said some pretty terrible about Oliver, publicly, not that I entirely blamed her, so I never imagined she would be here.

Oliver and Ray made small talk for a few minutes, mainly about Ray's business, before Oliver excused himself, heading straight for Laurel. 

"I thought she hated him?" Ray asked

I nodded, ordering another drink.

"Laurel is...Well, Laurel. At the end of the day, she’s always going to love him in some way. And he will always love Laurel. It’s just how it is. Some things never change.” I watched as they disappeared through a door. 

"Are you okay?" Ray asked

"Yeah, of course." I replied

"You seem...off." Ray suggested 

"I'm fine. It was just a long day at work and I'm not really in a party mood." This was true. 

"We don't have to stay long, you know." Ray replied

"I know. I don't plan on it. I'm going to go talk to Tommy real quick then I'll be ready.” I made an appearance at the party, that was good enough.

I made my way through the crowd of people dancing to find Tommy. 

"Quite a bash, Tommy." I laughed

"I was surprised you came." Tommy remarked, pulling me into a hug. 

"I was surprised Laurel came." I replied

"Yes, that took some convincing." Tommy admitted

"Oh, I can only imagine." I finished off my drink. I had known Laurel could be stubborn for years, but helping plan my mother’s wedding to her father two years previously confirmed that it was nearly impossible to get her change her mind. The fact that Tommy could convince her to come to this party was a miracle. 

"I think it may have backfired." Tommy’s worried tone caused me to glance in the direction he was looking, seeing Laurel storming off.

"I'm not sure what you expected, Tommy. He did sleep with her sister and she did die while with him." I remarked

"I don't need reminding." Tommy snapped

"Look, I just came over here to say bye, I'm going to call it a night." I stated

"What? The night is young." Tommy exclaimed 

"It's been a long day." I shrugged, not mentioning the fact I didn't want to be there in the first place.

"Well, give Lexi a hug from her Uncle Tommy." Tommy hugged me quickly. 

"Good night. Have fun. Try not to get in too much trouble. Don't let Ollie get arrested within a week of returning." I teased

I left Tommy to find Ray, but spotted him talking to somebody I could vaguely recall meeting at some kind of charity event and sighed, knowing it meant it could be a while.

I leaned against the bar and while I would like to pretend I was people watching, I was scanning the crowd for Oliver, but I didn't see him anywhere. I was just wondering if Oliver had ditched his own party when the police barged in, my step father leading the pack, shutting the music off, shouting that the party was over, and Oliver seemingly appeared out of nowhere, approaching the detectives with Tommy.

Ray found me, taking his place at my side.

I couldn't hear what was being said, nobody could, but it wasn't long before Oliver shouted about offering a two million dollar reward for The Hood, the vigilante who had been in the news for the past few days. 

"Well, this has certainly taken a turn." Ray commented

"Let's go home." I stated, watching as the police cleared out.

The music had started back up by the time we were on the grand staircase, but Oliver was still standing here.

"Calling it a night?" Oliver asked, what seemed like a fake smile plastered on his face.

"Yeah, we are." I answered

"Thank you for coming. It was nice meeting you, Ray." Oliver stated 

"You as well. Welcome home." Ray replied 

I lingered, and Ray took the hint that I wanted a minute and moved ahead, waiting for me by the door.

"Oliver, I know that five years is a long time and a lot has changed, and I'm not going to ask you what happened, but I just want you to know that if you want somebody to talk to, whether it's about what happened or you want to talk to somebody who won't ask you a billion questions, you can always call me." I said, grabbing a card from my clutch and handing it to him.

"Thank you, Felicity." Oliver hugged me, a smile that seemed a lot more genuine than before on his face.

"Goodnight, Oliver." I stated

I knew that inviting Oliver back into my life was inviting drama, but Oliver Queen was one of my few weak spots, and I would deal with some drama if it meant Oliver had a friend that he would actually talk to in his life.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello peeps! We have a new chapter! I didn't expect to get this up today but I've consumed so much coffee today that I was able to get it done! Enjoy!

I walked to my desk, coffee in hand, walking past co-workers without so much of a hello.  
  
In the days following Oliver’s welcome home party, life returned to normal. Other than the non stop office gossip about him, only made worse when Oliver caused a scene at the unveiling of QC’s new Applied Sciences building, apparently drunkenly announcing that he would not be taking a position at the family company. It was very much something I would have expected of Oliver five years ago, but the Oliver I saw at the party didn’t seem much like the old him; he was acting like the old him, but it seemed to me to be exactly that - an act. It didn’t seem real. Neither did his drunken speech; I had seen Oliver drunk more times than I could ever count and that was not him drunk. I had spent more time than I cared to admit trying to figure out why he was pretending to still be the party boy he once was. I was sitting at my desk, chewing on a pen, contemplating it, wondering why he would want people to think he hadn't changed at all when I heard his voice.  
  
"Felicity?"  
  
I turned around in my chair quickly to see Oliver standing in front of my desk, a smile on his face. I quickly took the pen I had been chewing on out of my mouth and attempted to look like a professional adult.  
  
"Mr. Queen." I greeted him, sensing my coworkers would be eavesdropping.  
  
"Mr. Queen was my father." Oliver replied  
  
"Right, but he's dead. I mean, he drowned...but you didn't, which means you can come down to the IT department and listen to me babble. Which will end in 3..2..1." I had never wanted to slap myself for my lack of brain-to-mouth filter more than in that moment as I wondered what the hell was wrong with me.  
  
Oliver, mercifully, ignored my babble.  
  
"I'm having some trouble with my computer and I’m told you’re the person to talk to.” Oliver sat down a laptop on my desk and I leaned forward, looking at the holes in the metal.  
  
_What the frack?_  
  
“I was at my coffee shop, surfing the web, and I spilled a latte on it.” Oliver stated  
  
I looked up at Oliver in disbelief; did he really think I was going to buy that?  
  
“Really?” I asked  
  
“Yeah.” Oliver was sticking to that story.  
  
“Cause these look like bullet holes.” I exclaimed  
  
“My coffee shop is in a bad neighborhood.” Oliver shot me a smile I knew he hoped would distract me, as it would have five years ago.  
  
I couldn’t help the incredulous look I shot him as I tilted my head to the side. I had bite my lip to keep from telling him he should come back in a few minutes when he came up with a better lie.  
  
“If there is anything you can salvage from it, I would really appreciate it.” Oliver stated  
  
I just nodded, picking up the laptop; obvious lie or not, I knew saying no wasn’t an option. Not just because he was Oliver Queen and this was his family’s company, but because saying no to Oliver had never been a strong suit of mine.  
  
“Okay. It’ll take a couple of hours.” I shook my head, wondering what the hell Oliver was up to.  
  
“Thank you, Felicity. I have some errands to run, I’ll be back after.” Oliver stated  
  
“See you later.” I waved him off.  
  
I watched Oliver walk away and then turned my attention to the bullet ridden laptop.  
  
As I worked on recovering anything from the laptop, I wondered what was going on with Oliver. None of the things my mind came up with were any good. They all ranged from bad to downright horrible.  
  
It didn’t take me long to discover that laptop didn’t belong to Oliver, something I couldn’t decide made the situation better or worse.  
Other than the name of the real owner of the laptop, the only thing I could recover was blueprints for the Exchange building. I did a quick search on the building, vaguely recalling hearing something on the news about it a few days before.  
  
There was going to be an auction for Unidac Industries there, an auction that Walter Steele, Oliver’s stepfather, would be at. Another quick search told me that the owner of the laptop was Walter’s strongest competition. James Holder had been another strong competitor, but had been killed just days before by The Hood.  
  
I leaned back in my chair, trying to process all this information, but I could come up with no explanation that solved this whole mystery, and it was annoying me to no end. Mysteries bug me, they need to be solved, but this one was beyond me.

  
  
A few hours later, Oliver returned.  
  
“Were you able to recover anything?” He asked  
  
I sighed.  
  
“Pull that chair over.” I motioned him over.  
  
Oliver dragged the chair from the other side of the desk and sat down as I pulled up what I had recovered from the laptop.  
  
“Is that...Is that your daughter?” Oliver asked after he sat down, looking at the photo on my desk of myself, Ray, and Alexandra at the beach. It was from summer when we had drove down to Coast City for the weekend.  
  
“Lexi. Well, Alexandra. She doesn’t like it though, even though I thought it was a pretty name. I mean, obviously I did, I named her that. Anyways. Yes, she is my daughter.” I rambled nervously for the second time that day.  
  
I could pretty much see Oliver doing the math in his head.  
  
“Wow. You are a mother, that’s crazy. But she’s a beautiful little girl.” Oliver paused, looking away from the picture, “You didn’t mention it at the party, I’m just a little surprised. Tommy didn't mentioned it. Then again he also didn't mention you and Laurel are step-sisters now.”  
  
“Well, there’s been a lot going on the last couple of weeks, and we didn't exactly chat much at the party.” I shrugged  
  
“Yeah, that party wasn't...Actually, I was kind of overwhelmed. Seeing everyone I hadn't seen in years, people I never thought I’d see again.” Oliver remarked  
  
“I get that.” I replied  
  
“Does...did you ever tell Laurel?” Oliver asked  
  
I had expected a question about Alexandra’s father, so that question threw me.  
  
“No, I never told her. We weren't really in contact after what happened, and then her dad was marrying my mom and what good could possibly have come from her finding out her new step-sister used to sleep with her boyfriend? So no, I never told her.” I rambled, expecting him to interrupt me with a different question.  
  
If Oliver had asked if Alexandra was his, I didn’t plan on lying. Even if he was being shady, but he didn’t, so I pulled up the blueprints on my computer, changing the topic to non-personal matters.  
  
“So this was all I was able to recover from the laptop. That latte really did a number on it.” I rolled my eyes at Oliver’s ridiculous lie.  
  
“What is it?” Oliver asked  
  
“It looks like blueprints.” I answered; I was hoping that if I played dumb, Oliver would fill me in on some of the missing details.  
  
“Do you know what of?” Oliver asked  
  
“The Exchange building.” I replied  
  
“Never heard of it.” Oliver stated  
  
“It’s where the Unidac Industries auction is scheduled to take place.” I stated  
  
Oliver raised an eyebrow.  
  
“I thought you said this was your laptop.” I wanted to add ‘but it clearly is not so explain to me what the hell is going on’ but I resisted.  
  
“Yes.” Oliver nodded  
  
“Look, I don’t wanna get in the middle of some Shakespearean family drama thing.” My most reasonable explanation was that he was somehow trying to sabotage Walter by working with the enemy, although that still left many things unexplained.  
  
The look on Oliver’s face was pure confusion.  
  
“What?”  
  
“Mr. Steele marrying your mom? Claudio? Gertrude? Hamlet?” I explained, but he obviously had no idea what I was talking about.  
  
“I didn’t study Shakespeare at any of the four schools that I dropped out of, Lis.” Oliver said  
  
I forced myself to keep from saying that he must not have read any books in high school either. Hamlet was required reading at Starling Prep.  
  
“Mr. Steele is trying to buy Unidac Industries and you’ve got a company laptop associated with one of the guys he’s competing against.” I gave up on the references.  
  
“Floyd Lawton.” Oliver answered  
  
It was my turned to be confused.  
  
“No. Warren Patel. Who’s Floyd Lawton?” I asked  
  
“He is an employee of Mr. Patel, evidently.” Oliver replied  
  
“Oliver, what is going on here?” I asked, unable to hold it back any longer.  
  
“Nothing. Thank you for your help, Felicity.” Oliver stood up abruptly.  
  
The speed at which Oliver grabbed the bullet ridden laptop and bolted from the room was ridiculous and his reaction only left me with more questions.

 

At exactly five o’clock, I powered my computer off and rushed out of the office; I wasn’t normally one of the employees that were first out the door but after dealing with Oliver, I just wanted to get home and get in my comfy clothes and watch TV with my fiancee and daughter.  
  
“Ray? I’m home!” I called out as soon as I stepped in the house, dropping my keys on the table by the door.  
  
Ray appeared quickly, a look on his face I couldn’t figure out.  
  
“I tried to call and warn you.” Ray stated  
  
Before I could ask him what he was going to warn me about, I got my answer as my mother appeared behind him.  
  
“Felicity!” My mom exclaimed, racing over to throw her arms around me.  
  
_Oh, fear._ That was the look on Ray’s face, I realized as the same emotion hit me. My mother’s surprise visits were always interesting. You could never know what to expect.  
  
“Mom! I wasn't expecting you!” I tried to mask my true emotions with excitement and she seemed to believe me.  
  
“Or me.” Caitlin appeared with her arms filled with wedding magazine.  
  
“Your wedding is in seven months and you have a lot of decisions to make and a lot of them are way overdue.” My mom stated; I was aware what she was saying was true. I had procrastinated with planning the wedding, because I had no idea what I wanted. I wasn’t one of the girls that imagined her dream wedding. The whole wedding thing had always seemed like a waste of energy and money. I had, on more than one occasion, suggested we get married at the courthouse, but our families would kill us, and Ray didn’t want to face the wrath of our mothers.  
  
I was frozen to my spot as I looked back and forth between my best friend and my mother, who had clearly planned to ambush me at the same time.  
  
Ray chuckled and my eyes went to him. He was amused by this.  
  
“Great! Set those magazines on the table, me and Ray can’t wait to make decisions about the wedding.” I watched as Ray’s face fell slightly, though he did his best to mask it.  
  
“Yeah, it’ll be great.” Ray faked a smile.  
  
“I’m going to go change into something else, I’ll be right back.” I stated  
  
I went upstairs to get into my comfy clothes, sticking my head into Alexandra’s room to check on her before I went into my own.  
  
“Lexi?” I asked as I looked at my daughter. It was obvious my mother had been around her.  
  
Her naturally wavy dark hair was curled around her face, which I could tell had a light pink lipgloss on and a little light blue eyeshadow was on her bright blue eyes, the blues eyes that so reminded me of her father, and she was wearing a blue Juicy Couture tracksuit that had to be a gift from my mother.  
  
“Hi mama!” She greeted from her spot on the floor where she was playing with Barbies.  
  
“How was your day?” I asked her  
  
“Great! Grandma let me wear her make up! And bought me clothes!” Alexandra answered  
  
“I can tell. How was school?” I asked  
  
“It was fine. I got an A on my homework.” Alexandra answered  
  
“That’s great, sweetie. Do you have any homework today?” I asked  
  
“Dad already did my reading with me. That’s all.” Alexandra replied  
  
I had hoped to have a reason to procrastinate dealing with wedding stuff, but since that was out, I kissed the top of Alexandra’s head and went to change into sweats and headed back downstairs.  
  
After looking at photos of flower arrangements and bridesmaid dress and cake designs and other wedding things for well over two hours, I was ready to pull my own hair out.  
  
“I really do not understand why so much work goes into weddings.” I stated as Ray handed me a glass of red wine.  
  
“It’s supposed to be fun.” Caitlin stated  
  
Ray was standing behind me, rubbing my shoulders, I leaned my head back to look at him.  
  
“Are you sure you don’t want to run off to Vegas and get married? It’s not too late.” I suggested  
  
“Not happening.” My mother replied  
  
Ray laughed before leaning down to kiss me quickly.  
  
“Do you want to piss off Donna Smoak and Grace Palmer? Because I do not. Let's not even go into what my sister's reaction would be.” Ray laughed  
  
I sighed, sitting up straighter. Glancing in the direction of the living room, I saw Alexandra had fallen asleep on the couch where she had been watching TV.  
  
“I’ll be right back.” I stated; I went into the living room, reaching for the remote to turn the TV when the headline caught my attention.  
  
**Attack at Unidac Industries Auction** was in bold letters at the bottom of the screen.  
  
I turned the volume up, but they knew relatively little. Just that there had been gunfire, apparently from a sniper, with one person dying, and more injured. The police weren’t commenting, but witnesses claimed to see The Hood there.  
  
I grabbed my phone, scrolling through my contacts until I found Tommy’s photo.  
  
“Hello?” Tommy answered  
  
“Tommy, I saw on the news. The Queen family was there, weren’t they?” I asked as I turned to look out the window.  
  
“Yeah. Walter was shot at. They missed. I’m at their house now.” Tommy answered  
  
“So they’re all fine?” I let out a sigh of relief.  
  
“Well, Oliver is MIA, but we assume he’s fine. They think he ditched the event before it all happened.” Tommy replied  
  
“Oliver’s not there with his family?” I asked  
  
Why would Oliver ditch the event? Why wouldn’t he with his family after a traumatic experience like that? It didn’t make sense to me. I vaguely wondered if I should mention what had happened with Oliver earlier in the day, but I didn’t actually know anything. There was only my suspicions and even I wasn’t sure what I was thinking.  
  
“No, but he’s been going MIA a lot since he got home.” Tommy stated  
  
“What?” I asked  
  
“He ditches his bodyguard all the time. I think he’s just...blowing off steam.” Tommy laughed  
  
I knew what Tommy meant, but it wouldn’t make sense for Oliver to ditch his bodyguard to go hook up with some girl. He had bodyguards around him all the time before and never ditched them to sleep around. They just stood outside.  
  
“Look, I gotta go. I need to talk to Thea, she’s really shaken up. I’ll text you when Oliver shows up and let you know he’s okay.” Tommy stated  
  
I hung up the phone and just stood there for a minute, thinking. Oliver had a bullet ridden laptop with blueprints for a building that was shot at.  
  
There was no way he was the shooter. He would never. No matter what happened to him on that island, Oliver wouldn’t shoot at his step-father, he wouldn’t scare his family, especially Thea; she had always been the center of Oliver’s world, he would go to end of the world to protect his sister. He couldn't and wouldn't put her in danger. It wasn't an option.  
  
The news said The Hood had been there. He had also saved Tommy and Oliver days after Oliver returned as well. He had attacked Adam Hunt the night of Oliver’s welcome home bash, right across the street from the party. Oliver had been MIA for a while during his party.  
  
The Hood had shown up within two days of Oliver’s return.  
  
I almost let my phone slip from my hand as the thought crossed my mind. 

_Could Oliver be the man under The Hood?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I'm being honest, I am not happy with this chapter. I don't really like it, it's kind of boring, but it sets up things for future chapters, so...it had to be done.
> 
> So, I wrote a scene for the companion series for this chapter. It's in Tommy's Point of View, and it takes place right after Oliver leaves Felicity's office. It's up at http://archiveofourown.org/works/11534085/chapters/25894563 and I highly recommend it. It explains a bit of what goes through Oliver's mind when he saw that picture of Lexi. 
> 
> As always, let me know what you think, and feel free to hit me up on atiredfangirl.tumblr.com, or on twitter @WithLove_HW, let me know what you think or just say hi, whatever :) I can always use more fandom peeps in my life :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello people! I wasn't going to post this until Monday night, but I've been on a comic con high and decided why not? Comic Con got me so hyped for next season. All the talk about the wedding, and Oliver as a Dad. It's gonna kill me. 
> 
> This chapter got hella long, but it didn't feel like there was a good point to stop it at, so whatever. Hope you enjoy it :)

“What is it with bows and arrows? Why are they making a comeback?” I asked Caitlin on a Friday afternoon as we sat at the patio table, watching Alexandra with her toy bow and arrow, aiming at the target. The set had been a gift from Caitlin, and Alexandra was obsessed with it,  thanks to Brave.

“I don’t really know.” Caitlin laughed

“They look ridiculous.” I stated

“They seem to work pretty well as weapons though. Look at The Hood guy.” Caitlin shrugged

I glanced down at my hands, ignoring her statement. I had been blocking out any and all thoughts of The Hood and Oliver ever since I began to suspect they were one and same. A few days had past and I still couldn’t shake the thought.

“Mama! Look! Bullseye!” Alexandra stated proudly, jumping up and down.

“Great job, Lexi!” I replied with a smile, her happiness contagious.

“You’re a natural at it, Lex!” Caitlin stated

My phone lit up with an alert and I picked it up off the table.

I wasn’t proud to admit I had set up alerts on my phone to be notified about Oliver’s name popping up in the media, but I had done it. And it was going crazy.

“Oh my god.” I gasped, reading the headlines.

“What?” Caitlin asked

“Oliver’s been arrested.” I stated

“For what? Drunk and disorderly?” Caitlin asked with a chuckle.

No, it wasn’t drunk and disorderly. Not this time.

“Murder.” My horror was apparent in my voice.

“What?” Caitlin asked, her eyes wide.

“‘Oliver Queen has been arrested and charged with obstructing justice, aggravated assault, trespassing, acting as a vigilante, and murder.’” I read the article word for word.

“That’s insane!” Caitlin stated

I had suspected it, but I never really believed it. It couldn’t be true. Oliver couldn’t be this Hood guy.

"They think Oliver is The Hood? Are they out of their minds? Oliver Queen, playboy party boy a vigilante?" Caitlin's disbelief was clear in her voice.

Logically, I knew there was a possibility, a strong possibility, that it was true, but I just couldn't accept it.

Oliver couldn't be a killer, he just didn't have it in him. But then again, he had spent five years on an island, and God only knows what happened to him there. It could have turned him into somebody else, a person that I didn't know, that the rest of his friends and family didn't know.

I still didn't want to believe it, that the man I had once loved could be a vigilante, going around shooting people with arrows.

"Felicity? What are you thinking? You don't actually believe that Oliver is The Hood, do you?" Caitlin asked

Did I? I wasn't sure.

"I think that we don't know what he went through, or what effect it had on him. I don't think it's him, it's not the Oliver I knew, but I don't know if that's the same Oliver that came back from that island." I sighed

I picked up my phone, calling Tommy's number, but it went straight to voicemail.

"Why would Oliver be a vigilante who targets wealthy people? The Queen family is rich. It doesn't make sense." Caitlin stated

"None of this does." I replied

"Mom, look! Five in a row!" Alexandra boasted

"Maybe she gets it from her dad." Caitlin whispered

"Shut up!" I snapped, shooting her a death glare, not wanting Alexandra to hear her.

“Sorry.” Caitlin replied

“Ray is her dad, regardless of DNA.” I exclaimed

“I know, hun.” Caitlin replied

“Can you keep an eye on her for a second while I grab my laptop?” I asked

“Of course.” Caitlin answered

I headed inside, going upstairs to grab my laptop off my bed, rushing back downstairs.

“What are you doing?” Caitlin asked as I started typing on my laptop at the speed of light.

“Do you really want to know?” I asked

“Is it legal? Actually, no, I don’t care if it’s not. I want to know.” Caitlin answered

“I’m hacking SCPD to find out what evidence they have on Oliver.” I stated

Caitlin shook her head, standing up.

“I’m going to refill my drink. Want another?” Caitlin asked

“Yes, please.” I replied

Caitlin disappeared in the house and I kept typing.

“Yes, I’m in!” I exclaimed a few minutes later as I managed to bypass the security.

“Still got those hacking skills, I see.” Caitlin laughed

I found Oliver’s file, scrolling past his previous arrests from before the island, and found the charges against him. Not surprisingly, the arresting officer was my step-father, Detective Lance, which seemed like a major conflict of interest since everybody knew he hated Oliver.

The only evidence was a video from a security camera in the staircase at the Exchange building of Oliver grabbing what appeared to be a hood out of a backpack. It was blurry and not at all definitive proof that Oliver was the vigilante.

“That’s all they have?” Caitlin asked, watching from over my shoulder.

“That’s it.” I stated

“How did they get an arrest warrant from that?” Caitlin asked

“I don’t know.” Although knowing my stepfather, he found a judge he knew and called in a favor, “He should be at his arraignment right now.”

“He’ll obviously get out on bond, this case is a joke.” Caitlin stated

“Probably, yeah.” I mumbled

I kept trying to get ahold of Tommy for hours but he never picked up. So eventually, I gave up.

At nine, I tucked Alexandra in bed and we called Ray, who was in Gotham for business for the weekend, to say goodnight. He didn't bring Oliver up, which made me wonder if he hadn't heard or whether he just didn't want to bring it up on speaker with Alexandra.

"She asleep?" Caitlin asked when I walked back into the living room.

"Yeah." I answered, tossing myself down on the couch, seeing an old Kate Hudson chick flick on the TV.

"You okay?" Caitlin had asked me this routinely all day.

"Fine." I replied, grabbing my tablet off the coffee table.

I clicked on the email icon, and the first email caught my attention. It was from Oliver. I opened the email and couldn't believe what I was reading.

It was an invitation to a prison themed party at Oliver's house the next night to 'come before Oliver Queen gets off.’

Even for Oliver Queen or Tommy Merlyn, this was outrageous.

"Cait, I need to run an errand. Lexi should be out for the night but will you watch her for me?" I asked

"Sure." Caitlin shrugged

Before I even thought twice about it, I was changed into a pair of black skinny jeans and a white V-neck tee shirt and on my way to the Queen family home.

"Felicity Smoak. I'm here to see Oliver." I told the guard at the gate, who radioed the house.

"Go ahead." He replied as the gate opened.

By the time I got out of my car, the door was open, and Oliver was leaning against the door frame, his well muscled arms crossed over his chest, which just made them look even larger.

"Felicity. This is an unexpected surprise." Oliver greeted, the charming grin on his face reminded me of the Oliver I knew all those years before.

"So was receiving an invitation to celebrate your arrest, Oliver." I snapped as I crossed the distance from my car to the door.

"You could've just RSVP'd through email, you didn't have to drive all the way out here." Oliver joked

"This isn't funny, Oliver." I exclaimed

"Come inside." Oliver motioned me inward.

I followed Oliver inside and to the stairs, and while I didn't think it was the best idea to be in his bedroom, where I knew he was leading me, I could hear his family in the living room and I certainly didn't want to be in the same room as Moira Queen.

Stepping into Oliver's room after so many years was strange, but nothing in the room had changed.

"Oliver, this isn't a joke. This isn't drunk and disorderly or peeing on a cop car. This is murder." I stated

"They have nothing on me, this case is a personal vendetta from Laurel's father." Oliver stated as he laid down on his bed, propping himself up to watch me pace in front of his bed.

I noticed that he didn't actually claim his innocence but I moved past that.

"This is the most outrageous party you've ever had. And that's saying something because you have had some outrageous ones. I should know, I was fifteen when I started coming to them." I snapped

"I want people to know I'm not worried about this." Oliver replied

"You're the only one." I snapped

"Felicity, calm down. And sit down, you're making me anxious." Oliver laughed

I sat down on the edge of his bed.

"I'm making you anxious? That's ironic." I rolled my eyes.

It was quiet for a few moments.

"You haven't asked." Oliver stated

"I don't want to know. Ignorance is bliss." I replied, throwing myself backwards onto the mattress.

We laid in silence for a few minutes, and I did my best not to focus on the fact that I was laying on Oliver's bed with him just inches away.

“This feels like old times.” I eventually broke the silence

“Almost. If this was the old days, we probably wouldn’t just be laying here. And it wouldn’t be so quiet.” Oliver laughed

I flushed but knew it was true.

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.” Oliver apologized

“No, you’re right.” I admitted, leaning up, turning around on the bed to face him.

“That night at your party, Ray interrupted us before I could tell you. I know you think I deserved better than you, but I adored you, Oliver, and I wouldn’t change a second of what happened. Maybe we weren’t a normal couple, maybe it was totally wrong, but it was what it was and I didn’t care because I was crazy about you.” I stated

“I was a selfish jerk back then.” Oliver replied

“Selfish, maybe, but you weren’t a jerk, not to me, anyways.” I remarked

“You always did see the best in me.” Oliver laughed

"I could see through to the sweet guy underneath the party boy. I still can see through image you're projecting for the public." I sighed

I could see he wanted to say something, but he stayed silent.

"So, while a lot has changed, the fact that I believe you are a good guy hasn't." I went to stand up.

“You don’t have to go.” Oliver stated

“I do. I’m not even sure why I came here. Other than to yell about this party.” I rolled my eyes again, remembering the ridiculous party.

"I'll walk you out." Oliver stated

“If you ever need tech support, you know where to find me.” I whispered as we reached the door.

“I’ll see you around, Felicity.” Oliver smiled, a genuine smile.

“Be careful, Ollie.” I frowned, “That nickname seems wrong to me now. It doesn’t fit. Be careful, Oliver.”

“Oh, don’t worry about me. My mother hired a bodyguard to babysit me. I’ll be just fine.” Oliver laughed, his voice sounding remarkably like the boy I knew before, but I wasn’t buying it.

“The bodyguard you constantly ditch, you mean?” I countered

“Well, it’s good to know you and Tommy are still thick as thieves.” Oliver replied

“I’m serious, Oliver. You have people who care about you, more than you probably realize. I care about you. Nobody wants to lose you again.” I stated, looking directly into his eyes, trying to use my stern voice that makes Alexandra know I mean business.

Oliver was silent for a minute, then pulled me into a hug.

“I’ll be careful, Lis.” Oliver promised

 

“Caitlin, I cannot believe you convinced me to come to this ridiculous party. It gives the illusion that I approve and I do not.” I told my best friend as we made our way through the mass of people in Oliver’s house, out to the backyard.

“I want to meet the infamous Oliver Queen.” Caitlin stated

I rolled my eyes as we stepped out onto the deck and took in the scene before me. It was ridiculous as I had imagined it to be; the staff were in either orange jumpsuits or black and white striped jumpsuits, there were women dancing in cages, and then I spotted Oliver. He was in what appeared to be normal clothes, until I looked closer and saw an inmate number on his denim shirt. He was headed towards a podium in the yard, assumingly as far as he could go from the house with the ankle motioner on.

The DJ cut the music and everybody’s eyes were on Oliver.

“Hi everybody! I’m very touched that you came to celebrate with me before I am sent up the river! The nearest neighbors are six miles away so don’t worry about the noise! Actually, on second thought, let’s wake those losers up!” Oliver all but screamed the last sentence, causing the crowd to cheer as the music came back on even louder than it had been.

I rolled my eyes as Oliver hopped down and grabbed Caitlin’s arm, pulling her towards him.

“If you think this is what prison’s like, you are in for a rude awakening.” I stated with a slight smirk on my face.

“Felicity, I’m surprised. I thought you weren’t coming.” Oliver replied

“Yes, well, this one wanted to see a legendary Oliver Queen party. You know, since this might be the last.” I snapped, nodding towards Caitlin.

“Oh, I doubt that.” Oliver stated with a grin before turning his attention to Caitlin.

“Oliver, this is my best friend, Caitlin Snow. Caitlin, Oliver Queen.” I said

“It’s nice to meet you, Oliver.” Caitlin greeted; it didn’t go unnoticed by me, and certainly not Oliver either, that Caitlin was practically drooling over him. Her expression reminded me vaguely of the heart eyes emoticon. 

“You too, Caitlin. You ladies need drinks!” Oliver exclaimed

“I’m good, thanks.” I replied

“I’ll have one.” Caitlin stated

Oliver led us to the bar and ordered a round of drinks, including one for me, ignoring my protests. Typical.

“It was a pleasure to meet you, Caitlin. If you’ll excuse me, I’ve gotta go talk to my bodyguard.” Oliver stated

I shot Oliver a curious look that he ignored completely.

“He’s hotter in person.” Caitlin stated once he was out of earshot.

“Yeah, I noticed you drooling over him.” I rolled my eyes.

“If he wasn’t your Oliver, I would have to consider flirting with him.” Caitlin laughed

“He’s not my Oliver, he never was. Feel free.” I replied, though I couldn’t deny the surge of jealousy at the idea.

“Uh huh.” Caitlin mumbled, clearly seeing right through me.

I watched Oliver disappear inside the house with his bodyguard, a big man who looked intimidating even from a distance.         

“I’m going to go to find Tommy, I need to talk to him for a minute. You’ll be fine here, right?” I asked

“Oh yes. This tequila is the good stuff.” Caitlin answered

“Oliver Queen doesn’t half-ass anything.” I laughed before walking away, towards the house.

I couldn’t find Tommy anywhere, even though I had definitely seen him go inside during Oliver’s speech. I saw Laurel standing alone with a drink in her hand. She would know where Tommy was.

“Hey Laurel.” I greeted with a smile

“Hey!” Laurel pulled me into a quick hug, “I’m surprised to see you here. I figured you’d think this is as inappropriate as I do.”

“Oh, I do. I had a friend that wanted to come so I came.” I explained

“This party is just so Ollie.” Laurel rolled her eyes

I shrugged.

“What can you do? Hey, is Tommy around? I wanted to ask him a question and I can’t find him.” I asked

“Last I saw, he was talking to Thea.” Laurel shrugged

“Oh, okay. I’m sure I’ll find him eventually.” I replied

“If I see him, I’ll let him know you’re looking for him. We should go out some time, maybe a double date? I feel like we never see each other anymore, yet by all accounts we should see each other more than we ever did before.” Laurel laughed

Frankly, the idea of a double date with Laurel and Tommy was utterly unpleasant, but I nodded.

“Definitely. I’ll talk to Tommy and set something up.” I lied

I said goodbye to Laurel and headed up the grand staircase, Oliver’s bodyguard walking past me in the other direction. I found it odd that he wouldn’t be with Oliver, and headed towards his bedroom.

The door was cracked opened, so I just opened it the rest of the way without thinking, stopping in my tracks as I saw Oliver’s bare back as he pulled another shirt on.

“Oliver…” I whispered, seeing the scars and tattoos all over his back.

Oliver spun around, his eyes wide.

“Felicity.” Oliver whispered

“What happened to you on that island, Oliver?” I whispered as I stepped closer. He stepped backwards as I got closer.

“A lot.” Oliver replied, starting to button the front of his shirt, but I could see the scars.

“Don’t, Oliver. Let me see. Please.” I stated, putting my hand on his shirt.

“Are you sure you want to see?” Oliver asked

I nodded, not trusting my voice. Oliver let his shirt fall open. My fingers moved over his scars. There were so many.

I could tell some were gunshot wounds, some were knife cuts, and some I had no idea. All I knew for certain was Oliver had gone through hell, and I could feel my eyes tearing up. _My poor Oliver_.

“Oliver, I am so sorry.  I’m sorry you had to go through any of the things that caused these scars.” I willed the tears threatened to fall away, looking up at him.

He looked down at me, his expression intense.

“Felicity..” Oliver replied

It was like I could physically feel the mood in the room shift and I moved closer as his hands found their way to my hips.

Oliver moved closer, his lips centimeters from mine, waiting for permission. I didn’t think twice as I closed the gap, and his soft lips met my own in a delicate motion. My top lip was taken hostage by both of his. When he pulled back, a small whimper escaped my lips. I wanted more. He didn’t move far away and smiled at me before kissing me again, harder this time, with more passion. I softly moaned into the kiss as I felt his arms wrap around my body. His kisses became more intense and his tongue lightly swiped across my bottom lip, asking for entrance. I obliged willingly, loving the dance that our tongues began with each other.

But then, abruptly, Oliver pulled away, using his hands on my hips to push me away; he was gentle but it was effective as I felt the rejection surge through me.

“Felicity..” Oliver’s voice was concerned

“Don’t.” I stated, stepping backwards.

“Somebody’s coming. Hide.” Oliver’s voice was tense as he pushed me towards the bathroom.

I was confused, but I could tell that Oliver’s whole mood had changed. He was tense, ready for a fight.

“Go. Now. Lock yourself in the bathroom.” Oliver insisted

Oliver’s expression was enough get me to agree, rushing over to the connecting bathroom, locking the door behind me.

I could hear the sounds of the struggle, and my heart was racing as I tried to figure out what was happening. I decided to be brave and crack the door open to see Oliver and a well-dressed man fighting, destroying his room in the process. I grabbed my phone and hit Tommy’s photo, praying for him to pick up.

“Felicity?” Tommy answered on the second ring.

“Send security to Oliver’s room right now.” My voice giving away my panic.

I heard him shout for security as I locked the door back. I hated hiding but knew very well I’d just hindrance, a life for Oliver to try to protect other than his own life, if I stepped out of the bathroom.

“What’s going on, Felicity?” Tommy asked

“Somebody is attacking Oliver, I’m locked in his bathroom.” I cried

I heard the gunshot and felt my heart skip a beat as silence filled the room. I was afraid to move, afraid of what I might find if I opened the door.

“Felicity?”

I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding when I heard his voice.

I yanked the door open and threw myself at him, wrapping my arms around him in a hug.

“It’s okay, I’m fine.” Oliver whispered.

I looked around the room, seeing the body of the man he had been fighting and my step-father standing by the door, gun still in hand, watching us with an expression one could only call disapproving. I would certainly hear about this from my mother.

“I have to go talk to the detective. Will you wait so we can talk?” Oliver asked

I nodded.

“Not here, though.” I looked at the body on the floor. 

Oliver put his hand on my lower back, leading me down the stairs to the family library, all but a few of the party goers gone.

“I’ll be back, okay?” Oliver said

Oliver disappeared, leaving me to alone with my thoughts, which gave me time to officially freak out about what I had done, and what I would have done had we not been interrupted. I had no doubts where that kiss would have led, and I thought of Ray for the first time that night and the crushing guilt washed over me like a wave.

I couldn’t just sit in the library and wait. I tiptoed out and quickly snuck towards the living room to hear what was happening. Though I couldn’t hear everything, I gathered that The Hood had been spotted during the party on the other side of town, and all charges against Oliver were being dropped. I sighed in relief at that as Moira told Detective Lance off for making him a target.

I sensed that the conversation was coming to an end, and quickly made the decision to bolt out of the house, rushing towards my car. I knew it was cowardly to run away, to avoid talking to Oliver, but I also knew I couldn’t face him, not yet.

Caitlin was waiting in my car when I climbed in.

“Oh thank god. I was freaking out.” Caitlin stated

“I’m fine.” I replied, my voice shaky.

“What happened?” Caitlin asked

“Oliver was attacked. He’s fine though.” I stated as I started the car.

“No, I know that part. And I know it was in his bedroom. Which is why I’m wondering why you were and what happened?” Caitlin asked

I shook my head, not wanting to admit what had happened out loud.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so, this is the first chapter that I don't have any kind of flashback or anything for the companion series. But after the next chapter, I have one that I'm working on that I think you will all enjoy - Felicity meeting Tommy, Oliver, Laurel, and Sara, for the first time. I've been enjoying writing it. I had it written, then my computer corrupted the file, and I had to start over. Thankfully I didn't lose anything else! I have the next chapter all finished and ready to go, I just gotta finish the flashback chapter. 
> 
> And I just want to take a quick second to state that I LOVE reading your thoughts. It makes my day. And I do respond to all of them, answering what questions I can without giving too much away, so check for responses (also, hit me up on Tumblr and I'll be way more likely to give you spoilers lol). On that note, if you have questions you want answers to or hope are addressed in the story, please feel free to leave them. I will do my best to answer them, either by responding or by putting it into future chapters.
> 
> As always, let me know what you think, and feel free to hit me up on atiredfangirl.tumblr.com, let me know what you think or just say hi, whatever :) 
> 
> PS. If you didn't see the video of Stephen and Emily at the comic con signing where they're hugging and he tells her "I love you 220 out of ten" Find it immediately and do so. The cutest. And the video of Stephen giving his necklace to the girl with cancer. I literally cried.


	4. Chapter 4

Avoidance.  I was getting really good at it in the weeks that followed Oliver’s party. It wasn’t that I hadn’t seen Oliver since the kiss, but I had managed to not be alone with him. We had crossed paths at a fundraiser Tommy had thrown for the law firm Laurel worked at, but it had been a passing ‘hello’ because Ray had been with me. Oliver had come to me for tech support a few times over the next month, but had brought his bodyguard, Diggle, along with him every time.

He had texted me a few times, wanting to talk but I had ignored him all but once, the day I had heard on the news that his mother had been shot at. I sent him a message to ask if she was okay, but that was the extent of our conversation. 

Unfortunately, I couldn’t avoid the double date I promised Laurel. I had managed to avoid it for a while, but then Tommy had set it up with Ray. Traitor. 

Ray and Tommy were discussing the latest Rockets game while Laurel and I mostly just laughed and shared looks that clearly expressed our exasperation at them and the sports talk when I spotted Oliver. Oliver and Helena Bertinelli. It wasn’t a shock to see them together, they were everywhere on the news in Starling. It was just a shock to see them at the same restaurant. Almost as shocking as it had been when I found out that Oliver was seeing Helena, the daughter of a well known crime boss.

“Oliver’s here.” I interrupted the conversation, causing Tommy to look around until he spotted him.

“Oliver, man, I didn’t know you were coming here tonight.” Tommy stated as Oliver made his way over to us, his hand on Helena’s back.

“It was a last minute decision.” Oliver explained before introducing us all to Helena. I could detect a slight attitude in Laurel’s voice as she greeted her, and I tried and failed to not have the same attitude. 

“Why don’t you join us?” Tommy asked

I shot Tommy a glare, as did Laurel, but he was oblivious.

“Are you sure?” Oliver asked

“Yeah, come on.” Ray answered 

I resisted the urge to audibly sigh, thinking that this night was taking a turn for the worse. 

“Okay.” Helena replied 

“Yeah, this will be great.” Oliver’s voice was falsely enthusiastic as they moved two chairs over to our table.

The waiter came over, adding to place settings to the table, offering Oliver and Helena champagne. I made eye contact with Oliver as the waiter poured the champagne and he quickly looked away. I could sense his discomfort at the situation, that was to be expected, any man would be uncomfortable sitting at a table with three women he had slept with.

It occurred to me that only myself, Oliver, and Tommy knew that though, which was why I didn’t understand why Tommy had invited them to join us. It was a recipe for disaster. 

The conversation was mostly dominated by Tommy and Oliver, telling stories about the old days. Laurel could’ve easily added to the conversation, having being present for nearly all the stories, but mostly stayed silent. I had been to some, but I certainly had no desire to relieve them, especially not in front of Ray.  

“Remember that time we flew to Coast City just to party at your dad’s beach house?” Oliver asked Tommy.

“Oh, god. That party was insane.” I commented without really thinking about it, the memories of that weekend a blur. 

“I didn’t realize you knew each other that far back.” Ray stated

I paused, realizing I hadn’t really talked much to Ray about how long I’d known Tommy.

“I was fifteen when I met Tommy, after I moved out here to attend Starling Prep.” I explained

“Oh.” was all Ray responded with, seemingly satisfied with the response, but Oliver was looking at me curiously. 

“You know what I remember about that party? My father being livid when he found out how badly we trashed the place.” Tommy laughed

“He was pretty pissed.” Oliver laughed 

“Not as bad as after that party with the pool thing.” Tommy stated; another party I had hazy memories of, having been pretty wasted that night.

“The pool thing?” Helena asked

“I filled the pool up with beer.” Tommy laughed

“I had forgotten that you filled your parents’ pool with beer. How many kegs did that take?” Oliver asked 

“Roughly a thousand or so.” Tommy answered

“Your father was so pissed, I thought he was actually going to drown you in it.” Oliver stated

“Yeah, well, death by beer, there’s worse ways to go.” Tommy laughed 

“Well, there are no good ways to die.” Helena’s voice causing the whole table to go silent, the laughter quickly dying. 

There was a brief awkward silence before she spoke again.

“So how did you and Tommy meet?” Helena asked Laurel, who sat her champagne glass down quickly. 

“Actually, Tommy, Oliver and me have all known each other..” Laurel got cut off by Oliver.

“We’ve known each other forever.” Oliver stated

“You all have a lot of history.” Helena remarked 

“Sometimes, a little too much.” Tommy stated, a statement that was painfully true.

This conversation was quickly making Oliver uncomfortable, it was plain as day for everybody at the table to see.

“How’s the nightclub coming along?” Laurel asked Oliver, quickly changing the subject to a safe topic. 

“Slower than I expected it to. I’ve been busy.” Oliver admitted

_Busy running around shooting people with arrows_ , I thought.

“Then you must be happy to have the extra help then.” Laurel stated

I watched as Tommy’s expression changed completely.

“What do you mean?” Oliver asked in confusion.

“Laurel, I’m sure that Oliver doesn’t want to talk about work right now.” Tommy replied

“You didn’t ask him?” Laurel turned to Tommy.

I could tell this was going in a bad direction fast and picked up my glass, taking a large gulp.

“Ask me what?” Oliver asked

“Tommy wanted...Tommy said he was going to talk to you about working for you at your nightclub.” Laurel stated, causing me to nearly choke on my drink.

“Really?” Oliver laughed, then stopped when he saw Tommy’s face, “Sorry, I didn’t think that you wanted any responsibility at all.”

Tommy said something I didn’t catch, too preoccupied by Ray shifting in his seat, leaning towards me.

“This is going well.” Ray whispered in my ear as I rested my hand on his leg under the table.

“You’ve always wanted to get into business with Tommy. I mean don’t you remember when we went to Aspen and you wanted to open a ski lodge?” Laurel asked

“The only thing I remember from Aspen was your father being furious we shared a room with one bed.” Oliver stated; I resisted to cringe at his words. He just set himself up for disaster. 

The main thing I remembered from Aspen was Oliver sneaking into my room every night after Laurel was asleep, but I could vaguely remember the conversation Laurel was referring to. But I wasn’t about to jump into this conversation. 

“Wait, um, so you two were together? And now you’re dating his best friend?” Helena asked

Oliver clearly realized his mistake in bringing up his sharing a room with Laurel too late as he finished off his drink. The man looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him whole.

“Yeah, we’re just begging for a reality show.” Tommy replied

“Tommy, you working for me, that could be...fun.” Oliver tried to bring the topic back to the slightly less uncomfortable topic they had been on before.

“I don’t feel so good, I’m going to step outside.” Tommy stood up and raced towards the door.

“I should probably go check on him. Helena, it was very nice to meet you. Felicity, Ray, hope I’ll see you at my father’s birthday party.” Laurel stated, following after him.

And then there was the four of us at the table.

“That went well.” Oliver mumbled

Helena was clearly annoyed, I didn’t exactly blame her, and his statement helped nothing.

“It was lovely to meet you, Felicity, Ray, but I’m going to go.” Helena stated, standing up.

Oliver didn’t even so much as say goodbye before chasing after her, leaving me and Ray at the table alone. I let out a sigh of relief.

“Well, that was single handedly the most awkward thing I’ve ever witnessed.” Ray laughed 

“It was like watching a trainwreck,” I shook my head, “Oh my god, how did Tommy think inviting them to sit with us was a good idea?” 

“I don’t think he expected it to go that badly.” Ray replied

“It probably could have gone worse, to be honest. Tommy wasn’t kidding about their history and the fact they could have a reality show.” I stated 

“I would probably watch that. It could be really entertaining.” Ray admitted with a laugh 

“It’s probably be like the Real Housewives. A total guilty pleasure.” I laughed

“Probably. I guess we should head home, Nina’s expecting us by eleven.” Ray stated

“Oh, you’re right. I didn’t realize it had gotten so late.” I replied

“Time flies when you’re having a awkward triple date, apparently.” Ray stated

I stood up and Ray helped me into my jacket before we made our way out of the crowded restaurant, and now that the dinner had come to an end, I realized how tiring it had been.

By the time we walked into our house, Ray’s arm slung over my shoulder, I was ready to go directly to bed.

“Mr. Palmer, Miss Smoak, how was your dinner?” Nina, Alexandra’s young redheaded nanny, asked

“It was interesting. How was Lexi? She didn’t cause you any trouble, did she?” I asked

“Oh, not at all. She’s sleeping soundly.” Nina smiled 

“I can’t wait to be doing the same.” I sighed

“Have a good night, Miss Smoak, Mr. Palmer.” Nina waved to us as she headed for the door.

Ray stayed behind to lock the doors and set the alarm after Nina left as I made my way up the stairs, checking in on Alexandra quickly before going towards our bedroom. I went straight for the dresser, picking out an oversized white tee with a cartoon panda on it, and a pair of black pajama pants before going into the bathroom to do my nightly routine of taking my makeup off and brushing my teeth. 

When I walked out of the bathroom, Ray was already in his pajamas and laying on the bed, leaning against the headboard. 

“You never told me you’d known Tommy and Oliver so long.” Ray stated

I shrugged, sitting down on the bed next to him.

“When I started at Starling Prep on scholarship, I was a freshman when they were seniors. Tommy was one of the only people there that didn’t treat me differently because I wasn’t rich.” I admitted 

Ray just looked at me, figuring I was going to go on.

“So we became friends. Eventually, I became friends with Oliver. They were kind of a packaged deal. Well, my mom was still in Vegas and I hated living on campus, Tommy practically lived alone in his house, so he offered to let me stay there. I stayed there on and off until college.” I explained

“Why didn’t you ever tell me that?” Ray asked

“Honestly? It was not the proudest time in my life. I may have studied hard during the week and gotten great grades, but come Friday night, I was a different person. I was a party girl. I dated the bad boys, I drank too much. I made a lot of bad choices. I’m not proud of who I used to be.” I admitted

Ray grabbed my hand, lacing his fingers through my own.

“You know you can tell me anything, right? It will not change how I feel about you. Whatever you went through or did, it made you who you are.” Ray stated

I smiled, leaning over to kiss him quickly.

“I love you.” Ray whispered

“I love you too.” I whispered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's kinda short but it sets the flashback chapter of how Felicity came to be friends with them which is up at http://archiveofourown.org/works/11534085/chapters/25894563 
> 
> I am super excited about the next chapter. Confessions are made and secrets come out. It was fun to write. Also, it's super long. AND, I'm writing the chapter for the companion series from Oliver's POV, which has been fun and difficult. I hope to have it up by the end of the weekend. 
> 
> Quick question; how would be interested in a flashback of how Ray and Felicity started dating and how/why Lexi started calling him Dad? I'm also thinking of doing one of how Felicity and Oliver first started hooking up. 
> 
> As always, let me know what you think, and feel free to hit me up on atiredfangirl.tumblr.com, let me know what you think or just say hi, whatever :)


	5. Chapter 5

“Hey.”

I jumped at the sound of his voice, nearly dropping my tablet. I looked up at Oliver standing in front of me, a charming smile on his face.

“Don’t you knock?” I asked, feeling my heart still racing in my chest.

“Felicity, this is the I.T. department, not the ladies room.” Oliver replied

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, laughing instead.

“Right. What can I do for you?” I asked

This was the first time Oliver had shown up in the weeks since the disastrous dinner, the first time I’d seen him at all since then. 

“My buddy Steve is really into archery. Apparently it’s all the rage now.” Oliver stated

Oliver had the worst cover stories ever, but it did provide me with some real entertainment. 

“I don’t know why. It looks utterly ridiculous to me.” I laughed

Oliver nodded. 

“Anyways, it’s Steve’s birthday next weekend and I wanted to buy him some arrows. The thing is he gets these special, custom made arrows and I have no idea where he gets them. I was hoping you could find out where this came from.” Oliver pulled an arrow out of a tube I hadn’t noticed he had with him and I reached for it.

“Careful.” Oliver warned as I grabbed it.

I was quickly able to pull up the patent for the arrow, telling him the name of the company. When he asked if I could find out where and when it was purchased, I resisted the urge to ask why he would need that information to buy arrows for his friend’s birthday and wrote the address down.

“Felicity, you’re remarkable.” Oliver stated as I handed the paper to him.

“Thank you for remarking on it.” I replied with a smile.

Oliver made no movement to get up from his seat and I was waiting for him to bring up the kiss, my avoiding him, the dinner, any number of awkward conversations.

“Why are you here so late? Everybody else is gone.” Oliver asked

“Oh, I had to catch up on work. I had to take the afternoon off for a dress fitting.” I replied

“I see. Tommy mentioned your wedding is coming up soon.” Oliver replied

“About five months.” I stated

“He doesn’t know about us, does he? About us being together before.” Oliver asked

“No.” I admitted quietly, looking down at my hands.

“Then who does he think Alexandra’s father is?” Oliver asked

I tensed up automatically, looking up to see Oliver’s expression, expecting him to be mad, but he was just looking at me curiously.

“Those eyes are pretty telling, Felicity.” Oliver replied 

“Oliver, I...I’m sorry, I should have told you before. But if you knew, why didn’t you say anything?” I asked

“I don’t know. I…She’s better off without me being a part of her life, especially with...everything going on in my life. She’s safer. And I’m not exactly father material, and Ray seems to be better at it than I could be.” Oliver stated

I sighed, leaning back in my chair.

“He’s a good guy. A good dad.” I replied

Oliver picked up one of the frames on my desk, one of me and Alexandra at the aquarium.

"I'm glad. I'm glad you have somebody and she has a good father." Oliver stated 

There was a brief silence.

"She's reminds me a lot of you. She's got a lot of you in her, you may not be able see it but it's there. Oh, and she loves archery." I laughed

Oliver chuckled, setting the photo down. I reached for my purse, grabbing Alexandra's most recent school photo from my wallet. 

"You can have this, if you want. And if you ever want to meet her, you can." I stated

"I don't think that's a good idea, considering everything...but thank you for the photo." Oliver sighed

I sighed, looking up at the ceiling. 

"Do you want to go get a drink?" Oliver asked

"I don't know if that's a great idea." I answered

"I understand." Oliver stood up.

"I didn't say no. I just said I didn't know if it was a great idea." I replied, powering off my computer. 

I  followed behind Oliver to the bar in my own car. I was surprised to see the quiet little bar he had chosen, it wasn’t a place I would have expected Oliver to go. It was a small bar, but it had a jukebox and a single pool table. 

“What do you want? I’ll grab our drinks, you grab a table.” Oliver stated

It had been a while since I had been in dive bar, but I knew better than to order anything complicated.

“I’ll have vodka tonic.” I stated

I found the booth closest to the jukebox and decided to see what music they had. Most of it was older classics, but when I saw Justin Timberlake, I immediately selected it. Oliver groaned as he sat down and the opening beat of Rock Your Body started. 

“Don’t even pretend you don’t know every word to this song.” I laughed

“How could I not? You and Sara listened to all the time.” Oliver laughed

It was true; we had listened a lot, usually while dancing around Tommy’s living room, earning either laughs or eye rolls from Oliver and Tommy. 

“You didn’t seem to mind too much when Sara and I would get wasted and dance in our bikinis to this song all summer long.” I laughed

“That is true.” Oliver took a drink of his beer, his expression unreadable. Sara was a sore topic, obviously. But it didn’t stop me from asking the question that had been bugging me for five years.

“Were you and Sara together before? Before you took her on the boat?” I asked, “Because I know there were other women, I know I wasn’t the only one you were sleeping with besides Laurel, but Sara? _Sara_. Laurel’s sister. My friend.” 

Oliver sighed, rubbing his face.

“No. We weren’t together before.” Oliver replied

“Why Sara? You could’ve brought anybody with you when I said no.” I remarked 

“I was an idiot, Felicity. It doesn’t matter now.” Oliver stated

“It matters to me, and I think I deserve some answers.” I retorted

“It was stupid. I was being a coward. Laurel had asked if we could move in together, I agreed and then immediately figured out the most surefire way to out.” Oliver admitted

“Sleep with her sister, and you won’t have to be the one to break up with her.” I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

“I was a coward, and a jerk. This isn’t revolutionary information.” Oliver sighed, “Look, if we’re going to keep discussing this, I’m gonna need to get something stronger than a beer.” 

“I just wanted to know. It’s been bothering me for years. I don’t know why. It’s hardly like I was the only one you were cheating on Laurel with.” I shrugged

“You were, though.” 

My eyes snapped up to meet his.  _ What? _

“There was nobody else? Until Sara?” I had a hard time believing it.

“I never set out to be a cheater. I loved Laurel, I still do, the problem was I wasn’t in love with her. I wanted to be. It would have been easier. Everyone would have been happy. My parents wanted me to marry her, it would have been their dream; marry Laurel, she becomes a lawyer, I take over as CEO, we’d have been the ultimate power couple. I just never wanted that life.” Oliver sighed, finishing off his beer. 

I didn’t know how to respond to that. I just stared silently at my drink. 

“So yes. You were the only one up until Sara. I was selfish when it came to you. You made me feel like I wasn’t this total disappointment when I was around you, so I took advantage of that, even though I knew what we did made you feel awful.” Oliver admitted

I was rarely speechless, but I couldn’t respond to that. I stood up, quickly mumbling that I’d get us another round. 

I ordered our drinks and leaned against the bar, waiting, processing what Oliver had just told me. I had always assumed that I was just one of the many, the idea that of that being untrue left me with more questions that I quickly decided I didn’t actually want answers to; it’d just be opening old wounds long since healed. As the bartender handed me our drinks, I made a vow to keep the conversation away from any more heavy topics.

When I sat back down, I quickly changed the topic to how construction on his club was going. He seemed thankful for the topic change. 

Before I knew it, it was after one AM, and I was more than a little buzzed as I sat in across the table from Oliver in the booth of the nearly empty bar.

"God, I think I had forgotten what it felt like to go out for drinks and talk about things that don't relate to Palmer Tech or the wedding." I admitted, taking a drink of my fifth cocktail.

Oliver didn't say anything, so I went on. 

"Don't get me wrong, I love Ray. I want to get married. But god, I hate weddings. I don't care about wedding dresses and oh, the flowers. Goth me hates it so much." I sighed

"You know, you don't have to do those things to get married." Oliver laughed, finishing off his third beer.

"Oh, but I do. It's expected. Especially when you're marrying Ray Palmer." I shrugged 

"Does he make you happy?" Oliver asked

"He does. He's a great guy." I replied, looking at the table, rather than Oliver. 

"I sense a 'but...' coming." Oliver stated

"He's a great guy. I love him so much. But it's...it's not like with us." I admitted

"We were not exactly a great couple. Or...a couple. So I imagine that’s probably for the best.” Oliver replied

"I know. But I was crazy about you. I knew I shouldn't have been, I knew you didn’t love me. I knew we were going nowhere. I knew that it was wrong, that I shouldn't have been with you. But I would've done anything for you, and that meant throwing all my morals away and sleeping with somebody’s boyfriend." I finished my confession and my drink. 

Oliver looked conflicted, opening his mouth several times to say something but never spoke.

“So yes, it’s not like it was with us, we were all passion, and wild drunken nights. I’m in stable, loving relationship, and I’m happy.” I smiled, looking down at my phone, at the lockscreen of me, Ray, and Lexi.

“I’m happy for you, Felicity.” Oliver remarked

"Thank you.” I glanced at the clock, “I should go." I reached for my keys off the table but Oliver snatched them first.

"You're drunk." Oliver pointed out the painfully apparent.

"Thanks, Captain Obvious." I rolled my eyes. 

"I'll drive you home." Oliver stated

"Fine." I shrugged

I stood up, wobbly but able to walk on my own as Oliver trailed closely behind me.

"Are you okay?" Oliver asked as we reached my car. 

"I'm not going to throw up on you, don't worry." I promised, even though I had once at a party when I sixteen.

Oliver opened the car door and I practically fell into my seat.

I was only vaguely aware of the car ride home or that we had come to a stop until I felt Oliver's arms wrapping around me, pulling me out of the car and scooping me up.

"Is Ray home?" Oliver asked

"Business trip." I mumbled

Oliver managed to open the door with my key with me in his arms and carried me up the stairs. 

"Did I ever say I'm glad you didn't die?" I asked, grasping the hem of his shirt after he laid me down on the bed.

"Goodnight, Lis." Oliver whispered, kissing my forehead.

 

"Felicity." 

I cringed at the noise and groaned.

"Fe-li-ci-ty." 

I reluctantly opened my eyes, looking towards the doorway where I saw Ray looking at me, radiating disapproval.

"Do you want to explain why Oliver Queen is making breakfast in our kitchen at eight in the morning?" Ray asked

I slowly sat up, making the nausea exponentially worse.

"What?" I replied; his sentence made no sense to me. 

My memories of the night were hazy, but Oliver staying the night was something I would remember. 

I looked around the room; there were pain pills and a bottle of water in the nightstand, and the blinds were closed, and I knew I hadn't done that.

"Ray, I'm sorry. Felicity had a little too much to drink last night and I didn't want to leave her alone so I slept on the couch." Oliver stated, out of my view.

Ray looked at me as if to confirm Oliver's story.

"Grace had Lexi so I decided to go for a drink. It turned into a few too many. He just wanted to make sure I was okay." I replied

"Well, my mother is on her way with Lexi." Ray’s voice suggested that this wasn't the end of this conversation, as he turned to walk away. 

I took the pain pills and stood up and headed to the bathroom.

After washing my face and brushing my teeth, I changed into a black long sleeve shirt that I had worn so much it was now dark grey, and pink sweatpants, heading down the stairs to find Oliver and Ray discussing business in the kitchen. It was a strange thing to witness. Before I could say anything, the doorbell rang and I headed to foyer.

"Mama! I missed you!" Alexandra practically shouted, making me feel like I had just been kicked in the head.

"I missed you too, baby girl." I replied, scooping her up in my arms.

"Thank you for keeping her, Grace." I stated with as big of a smile that I could manage. 

"Of course. Anytime. I've got a meeting but I'll see you tomorrow night." My future mother in law always had meetings; Ray didn't get the workaholic tendencies from strangers.

I closed the front door and headed towards the kitchen, listening to Lexi telling me about her night.

When I walked in the room, I halted in my tracks, suddenly remembering that Oliver was there.

Oliver was frozen, looking at us, a look on his face I couldn't place - Wistful? Regret? 

I quickly decided it was both.

"Alexandra, this is my friend, Oliver." I introduced, setting her down. I watched as she walked over to Oliver, extending her hand for his.

"Alexandra Lisette Smoak, it's a pleasure to meet you." Alexandra introduced herself and I couldn't help but smile. 

Oliver grinned, bending down to her level to shake her hand.

"Oliver Jonas Queen, and it's a pleasure to meet you as well, Lexi. I've heard a lot about you." Oliver smiled

Ray stepped closer to me, wrapping his arm around my waist. His expression was unreadable, something unusual for Ray.

Oliver stayed for an awkward breakfast, conversing mainly with Lexi about her school, her recent class trip to the zoo, and her favorite things, while Ray went from watching them then looking at me and back. 

It was a long half hour and Oliver promptly excused himself after, practically racing to the door.

"We need to talk." Ray stated as soon as the door shut.

"Lexi, why don't you watch a movie?" I asked

"Okay, mama."

I watched her go to the couch and then headed upstairs to the bedroom.

"He's her dad, isn't he?" Ray asked, though there was no question in his tone.

I sighed, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

“You’re her dad, but yes, Oliver is her biological father.” I answered 

Ray was silent, but I could tell he was mad.

“It doesn’t change anything, Ray.” I insisted 

“But it does, Felicity. You lied to me. You told me her father was just a drunken mistake.” Ray snapped

“I..I’m sorry.” I was unsure of what else to say.

“Does he expect to just show up and be her father now?” Ray asked

“Not that I know of. But if he wants to be a part of her life, I can’t stop that.” I replied

“His name isn’t on her birth certificate, he has no legal claim to her.” Ray stated

“It’s not about the law, Ray.” I sighed

Ray was pacing, which I only ever saw him to when he was stuck on a problem at work.

“Why did you lie?” Ray asked

I sighed again.

“By the time I found out I was pregnant, Oliver had been missing for nearly two months, and I didn’t know what to do. But I knew if it came out that I was having Oliver’s baby, my life would be thrust in the spotlight, and hers would have been too, for the rest of her life. I didn’t want that. So I kept it to myself. Only a few people besides me knew.” I stated

“Tommy knew. Now it makes sense why he was always so close to Lexi. I never understood why a party boy like him would have any interest in spending time with a kid.” Ray replied

“She’s a piece of his best friend.” I stated

“I had always wondered...wondered if she was Tommy’s.” Ray admitted

I had to stop myself from making a face.

“Me and Tommy? God, no. Never. You know he’s like my brother.” I exclaimed 

"Yes, you've said. But you also said Lexi's father was a random guy and you certainly never told me about you and Oliver." Ray snapped

I shook my head as I stood up.

"I would think you would understand why, but apparently not." I stated

I walked out of the room, going towards the stairs.

"Felicity, wait!" Ray shouted

I halted in the hallway, turning towards him.

"Look, Ray, I'm sorry I lied to you. Truly. But I am not sorry for what I did to protect my daughter." I snapped 

“What did lying to me do to protect her? I wouldn't have cared, Felicity. It didn't matter who her father was, I still would've been there.” Ray stated

“I know that now, Ray. I barely knew you when I found out I was pregnant. I didn't know if I could trust you. And once I lied...look, if I could change it, I would, but I can't. All I can do is say that I’m sorry for lying.” I stated 

Ray walked past me, heading for the door.

“Where are you going?” I asked

“Out.” Ray replied

“We’re supposed to pick out centerpieces today.” I didn't want him to leave.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be there.” Ray snapped before closing the door with more force than strictly necessary. 

I sighed, leaning against the railing of the staircase. 

“Mama? Where’d dad go?” Alexandra asked, appearing at the foot of the stairs. 

“He just had to run some errands, sweetie. Come on, let's get you dressed. We’ve got a lot of errands to run too.” I forced a smile. 

Alexandra raced up the stairs towards her room, by the time I caught up she was holding her favorite skirt with a grin on her face.

“Okay. You can wear it. But you aren't wearing the rainbow boots with it, okay?” I asked

Lexi nodded, grabbing her pink boots and a black tee shirt. 

“I’m going to go get myself dressed, love bug. When you’re dressed you can wait downstairs for me.” I stated

It didn't take me long to get dressed, I spent the most time searching through my jewelry box for a certain pair of earrings, the pair Ray had given me the day I had Alexandra. Once I found them, I put the pink studs in and stepped into my black heels, ready to face the day. 

“Ready, Lexi?” I asked as I came down the stairs.

“Let’s go!” Alexandra, ever eager, exclaimed

 

“She is so beautiful.” My mother commented as we sat on a park bench, watching Alexandra play after spending the morning running wedding related errands. 

“She is.” I smiled

“Are you okay, dear?” My mom asked

“Of course. Why?” I replied

“You’ve been distracted all morning. You seem sad.” My mom stated

“No, I’m fine. Really.” I wasn't sure which of us I was trying to convince. 

“You’re not getting cold feet, are you?” My mother never let things go.

“No, mom. Not at all. Ray and I just got into a disagreement this morning, it'll all be fine.” I replied 

“This disagreement didn't have anything to do with Oliver Queen, did it?” My mother’s words caused me to snap my head towards her.

“What?” I asked

“Oh, give me a little credit, Felicity. Did you honestly think I didn't know back then? Or that Ray isn't her biological father? She has those Queen eyes. And when Q mentioned he had found you in Oliver’s room the night he was attacked, I didn't have to be a genius to figure out something happened with you two again.” My mother stated

“You knew? All these years?” I asked

“Honey, of course I did. I knew that level of devastation when the shipwrecked wasn't for your friend. You loved him. You were in love with him.” My mother replied

“I was.” I whispered, watching Alexandra swing on the monkey bars.

“So your fight with Ray was about Oliver.” My mother replied

“He didn't know. He thought her father was some random drunken mistake. He found out. He’s mad I lied to him.” I admitted, looking down at my engagement ring.

“He’ll come around. You were obviously just looking out for her.” My mother assured me.

“Maybe.” I sighed

“Do you love him?” My mother asked after a few minutes of silence. 

I turned back towards her, a confused look on my face. 

“Of course I do, I wouldn't be marrying him if I didn't.” I answered 

“I wasn't talking about Ray.” She shot me a knowing look.

“Oliver was a long time ago, mom. I’ve moved on.” I stated

“That’s not what I asked.” Mom stated

“I’ll always love him, in some way, mom. He was my first love, even if it was an unconventional, unhealthy love. But I love Ray. He’s a wonderful man, a great father.” I replied 

My mother said nothing, which was a new concept for her.

 

Ray hadn't shown up to pick out centerpieces for the reception. He hadn't showed up for dinner, either. He still wasn't home when I put Alexandra in bed. He wasn't picking up his phone either, which wasn't like him at all, even when we were fighting. 

“Felicity, stop pacing.” My mother begged as I walked back and forth across my living room around midnight. I had long since suggested she go home, but she was adamant she was going to stay until I calmed down.

“I don't know if I should be angry or worried. He didn't even respond to Lexi’s voicemail. He literally responds to Lexi no matter what.” I stated

“Would you like to call Quentin? He could have the police keep their eyes open for him.” My mother asked

I considered this for a moment before shaking my head, grabbing my laptop off the counter. I had sworn to myself years ago I’d never hack into a guy’s phone or track them because it was as stalker-ish as they come, but there were exceptions to every rule. 

It didn't take more than a few minutes to pinpoint Ray’s phone. The address belonged to the condo Ray had lived in before we moved in together. The condo I assumed he had sold.

“Can you stay here with Lexi?” I asked 

“Of course.” My mother replied

I grabbed my keys and headed towards downtown. 

When I pulled into the building’s parking garage, it didn't take long to spot Ray’s Range Rover. 

I made my way to the elevator, clicking the button for the top floor, tapping my foot nervously the whole ride up. 

There was no answer when I rang the bell. Sighing, I entered the passcode to the door from years ago, and it clicked open to my surprise. 

“Ray?” I asked as I stepped into the foyer.

Receiving no response, I walked further into the apartment, spotting him sitting at the bar, his back to me. 

“Ray. I’ve been worried sick.” I stated

“Sorry.” Ray mumbled

I rounded the bar to face him, smelling the whiskey for the first time.

“You’re drunk. I’ve never seen you drunk.” I stated

Ray shrugged.

I shook my head, going to put some coffee on.

“I’m sorry I missed our appointment.” Ray sighed

“I’m sorry you did too, I had to let my mother have the final say on the centerpieces. I'm afraid they're a bit over the top for our taste.” I admitted, causing Ray to laugh.

“The whole wedding is a little over the top for our taste, Felicity.” Ray sighed

“That’s true. It’s not too late to elope. We could fly to Hawaii and get married on the beach. Just you, me, and Lexi.” I suggested 

“I don't think that’s a good idea.” Ray replied 

“Why not? We could go this weekend.” I stated, even though I knew he wouldn't ever agree. 

“Not the wedding, Felicity. The marriage.” Ray stated, causing my heart to sink.

“Ray, what are you saying?” I asked quietly

“Did you love him?” Ray asked

“Yes. I did.” I admitted

“And now?” Ray asked

“He’s my past, Ray. It was years ago. I love you.” I grabbed his hand, lacing my fingers through his. 

“I’m not too sure it is the past. You obviously didn't notice the way he was looking at you during breakfast.” Ray stated

“Although I’m sure you're wrong about the way he was looking at me, you're right, I wouldn't have noticed. Because I wasn't looking at him. I was looking at you, and Lexi. Because you’re the man I want to marry and she’s our daughter.” I stated 

Ray finished the glass of whiskey in front of him and leaned back in his seat, looking directly at me.

“What do you want me to do, Ray? How can I get it through to you that Oliver isn't some threat to you?” I asked

“I’m sorry, I’m being an ass. You said Oliver is in your past, that’s all I need to hear.” Ray replied 

“Good. Now, can we go home?” I asked

“Yeah, let's go home. I love you, Felicity.” Ray replied

“I love you too.” I replied, reaching for his hand, hoping this would be the last discussion we’d have to have about Oliver.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all :) 
> 
> Sorry I didn't get it up over the weekend. I was very busy. I still am, I have paused typing this note three times to chase my nephew who's staying with me for the week. I didn't really have time to proofread this, hope there aren't too many errors. There's this chapter (ok most of it) in Oliver's POV up in the companion series.
> 
> Also, next chapter highlights; Tommy being the voice of logic. Basically telling they're idiots. It was fun to write.
> 
> I read all of your feedback last chapter; a lot of you don't like Oliver and Felicity in this, and think it's an unhealthy relationship. I get that completely. They have to grow a lot. It's definitely going to be a slow burn. I hope you hang in there, but hey, at the end of the day, I'm writing because I enjoy writing. If others enjoy it, great, but if not, what can you do? (Sorry if that sounds rude - it's not how I meant it to)
> 
> As always, let me know what you think, and feel free to hit me up on atiredfangirl.tumblr.com, or on twitter @WithLove_HW, let me know what you think or just say hi, whatever :) I can always use more fandom peeps in my life :)


	6. Chapter 6

  
Life returned to normal. Well, the new normal, which consisted of frantic wedding planning, as the big day was now just sixteen short weeks away. It reached the point I was happy to go to work because at least it didn't involve seating charts or flowers, even if it did consist of Oliver showing up for tech support, which was an ever growing source of anxiety for me, constantly worrying he was going to get himself killed.

“Good morning, Miss Smoak.” I looked up at the sound of Oliver’s voice.

“Good morning, Mr. Queen. What can I help you with today?” I asked, smiling at him as I leaned back in my chair.

“You’re in a good mood.” Oliver commented

“I am.” I replied

Oliver closed the office door and sat down on the edge of my desk.

“So...about what we discussed, how Lexi would be better off without me in her life.” Oliver stated

“You said it, I didn't say I agreed.” I remarked

“Well, I still think it’s true, but I am also a very selfish man, and if it’s okay with you, I would like to see her. I'm not suggesting we tell her anything, but I’d like to get to know her. The world can't know she's my daughter, obviously, but...still.” Oliver rambled nervously.

“You know, normally rambling is my thing.” I replied with a grin.

“Yeah, I suppose so.” Oliver laughed

“If you want to see Lexi, of course you can, Oliver.” I stated

Oliver’s megawatt smile was contagious.

“She has ballet this afternoon, but are you free tomorrow?” I asked

“Yeah, absolutely. You want to bring her out to the house for lunch? Ray could come too, of course.” Oliver asked

My heart sunk at the thought of being at the Queen estate with Moira.

“Ray is busy, but I can bring her out.” I replied

“Awesome. Anything she won’t eat or can't that I should know of?” Oliver asked

“She’s kinda picky, but she doesn't have any allergies. If you want to win points with her, get pizza. Pepperoni, extra cheese, thick crust. That’s her favorite.” I stated

“Got it.” Oliver stood up.

“What time do you want us to come over?” I asked as he reached the door.

“Noon? Oh, and it’s supposed to be pretty warm tomorrow. Bring your suits, we’ll go swimming.” Oliver answered

“Alright. If you don't need any tech support from me, I’ll see you tomorrow.” I replied

“Later, Lis.” Oliver flashed me one last smile from before disappearing out the door.

I was contemplating how to tell Ray about taking Lexi to Oliver’s for lunch when I was snapped out of my trance by my office phone.

“Queen Consolidated, IT department, Felicity Smoak speaking.” I recited my usual greeting.

“Good morning, Miss Smoak, Mr. Steele has requested your assistance.”

I resisted the urge to sigh.

“Right away.” I replied

I stood up and straightened my clothes before making my way to the elevator.

Finding the receptionist’s desk empty, I knocked on the slightly ajar door. The door opened to reveal Moira Queen.

“Please, come in, Miss Smoak.” Moira greeted me, a tight smile on her face.

I stepped inside and found Walter was nowhere to be seen.

“I was told Mr. Steele wanted to see me.” I remarked

“Well, yes, I lied. I knew you would sooner quit and walk out this building before you would have come up if I had invited you.” Moira stated as she closed the door.

“That’s true.” I agreed

“Oliver shared the wonderful news with me that he has a daughter.” Moira stated

I stared at Moira in silence.

“You couldn't have been too surprised about that.” I replied, my voice blank of emotions.

“Why on earth would you tell him?” Moira asked

“He has every right to know. You and I both know that isn't your primary concern here.” I stated

“Miss Smoak, I-”

I raised my hand to stop her.

“Don't. I told you five years ago that I wouldn't be threatened, bribed, or otherwise intimidated by you. This still stands.” I snapped  
  
“Felicity, I’m only concerned about my family.” Moira stated

“Then you can rest easy, I won't tell Oliver anything that happened after he disappeared.” I headed for the door.

I made my way back to my office, turning my computer on.

After typing up an email to HR, I turned off my computer and started clearing my desk off.

It wasn't even ten minutes later that Oliver was back in my office.

“Felicity?”  
  
“Oliver.” I replied

“Why did you just send in a letter of resignation?” Oliver asked

“It’s personal.” I replied

“Lis, what is happening?” Oliver asked

“Nothing. It’s been a long time coming. I’m marrying the CEO of a rival company. I’ve always known I’d end up over at Palmer Tech.” I explained  
  
“There’s more to it.” Oliver responded

“No. Don't worry, I’ll still be your tech support.” I kept moving things off my desk.

“I heard you spoke to my mother.”

I glanced up at him, seeing his worried expression.

“Word sure travels fast around here.” I sighed

“Warp speed. What did she say?” Oliver asked

“Nothing. Not today.” I replied

“Damn it, Felicity. Don't lie to me.” Oliver snapped

I sighed again.

“Fine, I’ll tell you, but not here.” I stated

I grabbed my purse and left my office without a word, knowing Oliver would follow behind me.

When we reached the parking garage, I climbed in my Mini Cooper, waiting for Oliver to get in.

“Are you coming?” I asked after I rolled the window down. Oliver nodded, climbing in the passenger's’ side.

“Mind me asking where we're going?” Oliver asked

“I’ll explain when we get there.” I answered

I drove through town until I reached my old apartment building, the apartment I never had the heart to get rid of.

“I moved here when I found out I was pregnant with Lexi.” I explained as I pulled into my old parking space.

“Felicity, I'm beyond confused.” Oliver stated

Oliver followed me into the apartment, I went straight for the desk in the living room, opening the bottom drawer and pulling the envelope out, handing it to Oliver.

“What is this?” Oliver asked

“The check your mother wrote me when I told her I was pregnant.” I explained

“Wait, she knew?” Oliver asked

“I went to her a few days after I found out. I thought she deserved to know she was going to have a grandchild. Her response was first to accuse me of lying about you being the father, the next was to write a million dollar check to ‘take care of it’. As you can tell, I didn't cash it. When Lexi was born, she came to the hospital to tell me in no uncertain terms that if the press found out, she would make sure they knew about my hacktivist past, that I would be in prison, and that she’d take custody of Lexi so I never saw her again.” I explained

Oliver was silent.

“Your mother wanted to let me know the threat was still serious.” I finished

“Unbelievable.” Oliver shook his head, tossing the check down on the desk.

“You’re not honestly surprised, are you? How many problems did Moira make go away with her checkbook?” I asked

Oliver sighed.

“All of them.” Oliver answered

“Look, it doesn't even matter. Moira Queen doesn't scare me anymore.” I stated

“I need to speak to her.” Oliver remarked  
  
“Not on my account, Oliver.” I sighed

“This is not acceptable.” Oliver pointed at the check.

“Agreed, but I don't need Moira pissed at me. I have enough on my plate right now.” I replied

“Fine.” Oliver agreed

Oliver sighed.

“I don't really want to go home and face her now.” Oliver admitted

“You can stay here if you want.” I blurted out without thinking.

“Really? Are you sure?” Oliver asked

“Somebody might as well,” I shrugged, “There’s no food in the fridge, but the Italian place across the street is great.”

“Maybe just tonight,” Oliver paused, “She should be gone tomorrow if you still want to go over.”

“Okay,” I hesitated before wrapping my arms around him in a hug, “I’ll meet you there at noon.”

“See you tomorrow, Felicity.” Oliver stated, kissing my cheek quickly.  
 

The next morning, I woke up to Lexi throwing herself on me very dramatically.

“Mommy, when are we going to your friend’s house?” Lexi asked

“Not for another,” I glanced at the clock, “four hours.”

“But I’m bored.” Lexi whined

“You want to go get breakfast? Maybe we might even go to the mall.” I suggested, because cooking wasn't my strong suit.

“Yes! I’ll get dressed.” Lexi bolted out of the room, making me chuckle as I reluctantly got out of comfy bed.

I followed Lexi, making sure she would be dressed in something presentable.

I picked out a pair of black and white striped shorts, a white tank, and her black vest, and laid them out for her on the bed. I was setting her black sandals on the floor next to the bed when my phone rang in the other room.

I saw Oliver’s photo flashing across my screen, and I answered quickly.

“Hey Oliver.” I answered, moving towards my dresser.

“Okay, first off, I’m sorry. Secondly, I didn't actually tell her, she just assumed.” Oliver’s voice sounded nearly frantic. I was concerned for a second until I heard Thea’s voice pestering him in the background.

“Thea?” I questioned

“All I told her last night was that you two were coming over, and she jumped to the conclusion from there.” Oliver sighed

“Oliver, I don't care. As long as she knows she can't say anything in front of Lexi.” I replied  
“She knows,” I heard a lot of background noise, Oliver mumbling something about ‘what the hell did you do?’ before his voice became clear again, “And she...apparently bought a playset for the backyard. I guess I have to assemble it _right now_.” Oliver’s emphasis on his last words made me laugh.

“I’m sure Lexi will love it.” I replied

“Okay, she’s not going to stop until I go do that, so I’ll see you in a few hours.” Oliver remarked

  
A few hours, most of which was spent at the mall, later, I held Lexi’s hand as we made our way up to the front door of the Queen estate, holding the flowers Lexi had picked out in my other hand.

It wasn't even ten seconds after I rang the bell that the door was opened by Oliver, Thea right behind him.  
  
“Hi Lexi.” Oliver smiled

“Hi Oliver.” Lexi grinned back at him.

“Come on in.” Oliver motioned us inside.  
  
Thea remained behind her brother, but I could see her poking his side, clearly waiting to be introduced.

“Lexi, this is my sister, Thea.”  
  
Thea took the opportunity to bend down to Lexi’s level, a wide grin on her face. For the first time in five years, Thea looked her own age.

“Lexi, it is a pleasure to meet you.” Thea announced  
  
“Nice to meet you too.” Lexi still hadn’t let go off my hand.

“Lexi picked out these flowers for you guys.” I extended the white and yellow flowers to Thea, who accepted them gladly.

“They are beautiful, Lexi. I can tell you have great taste.” Thea stated, earning a shy smile from Lexi, “How about me and your mom find a vase for these and Oliver shows you the backyard?”

Thea’s words confused me until I saw the look she shot me; I glanced at Oliver, but his equally confused face didn't help.

“Okay!” Lexi exclaimed

I watched as Oliver and Lexi took off towards the backyard, then turned my attention to the young woman next to me.

“Let’s go get a vase and talk.” Thea’s smile suddenly seemed a lot less genuine.

I trailed behind her, to an area of the Queen house I had only seen a handful of times - the kitchen.

“How could you not tell us?” Thea snapped

“What?” I replied in confusion.

“We could’ve had a piece of Oliver all those years. We had a right to know that he had a daughter.” Thea snapped

“Thea, I…” I was at a loss for words, deciding whether or not to throw Moira under the buss, “I’m sorry. You had a right to know you had a niece.”

This was true, without having to bring up her mother.

“Why? Why wouldn't you tell us?” Thea asked

“It was complicated, Thea.” I mumbled

“It doesn't seem that complicated to me.” Thea snapped, speeding off towards an exit to the backyard.

I sighed, rubbing my face; I wanted nothing more than to tell her that was Moira’s fault, that she had been the reason Thea didn't know, but I’d leave that discussion for Oliver.

When I stepped into the backyard, my eyes immediately went the bounce house in the middle of the yard, then I glanced over at the brand new play set, complete with swings and a slide. I was impressed that Oliver had been able to build it in a span of a few short hours.

“Thea is a bit over the top.” Oliver shrugged

“You don't say,” I laughed, “She just snapped at me for not telling them about Lexi.”

“I’ll talk to her later.” Oliver sighed  
  
I watched in silence while Thea climbed in the bounce house with Lexi, who was laughing hysterically.

“Nice shirt, by the way. Can't believe you still have it.” Oliver laughed

I glanced down at the shirt I was wearing - a oversized tee from an All American Rejects’ concert that Oliver and I had gone to together in 2006. The shirt was too big, having originally been Oliver’s, although I had claimed it as my own within hours.

“Hey, that was a great show!” I exclaimed

“It was. It was a great weekend.” Oliver stated with a grin.

“Seems like a lifetime ago.” I replied; the memories were still vivid in my mind, despite the amounts of alcohol consumed that weekend in Las Vegas.

“Mom, come play.” Lexi shouted

“Oh, I don't think I can fit in there, sweetheart.” I laughed

Oliver sat down on the hammock that I had spent so many afternoons laying on, usually with a book, while Oliver and Tommy played basketball or tossed a football around.

“I just saw a picture of you laying on this hammock the other day at Tommy’s. You were reading some book, you had those ridiculous huge black sunglasses on, and you were flipping off whoever took the picture. It was so you.” Oliver laughed

“It was Sara. She took the picture. I flipped her off for making a comment about me reading when I needed to in her words, ‘get laid’.” I replied, immediately knowing which picture he was referring to.

“Sounds like Sara.” Oliver’s voice sounded like he was far away.

Lexi ran up to me, grabbing my hand.

“Come play!” Lexi dragged me towards the playset.

“Ollie!” Thea shouted, prompting Oliver to join the rest of us.

“Now, which one is the four year old?” Oliver asked after Thea demanded he push her on the swing, while I stood behind Lexi, pushing her, earning a laugh from me.

Thea mumbled something I didn't catch, but earned a glare out of her brother.

“Anybody home?” I looked up to the source of the voice, a young man in a red hoodie.

“Roy! I totally forgot we had plans.” Thea exclaimed

“I can see that.” He laughed

I glanced over at Oliver, seeing his tense expression and posture.

“Roy, this is my brother, Oliver, and his friend Felicity, and Lexi.” Thea introduced him to us. I waved from my spot pushing Lexi, who was too wrapped up to even notice somebody else had arrived.

I watched as Oliver shook the young man’s hand, obviously with great force, resisting the urge to roll my eyes.

“Give me five minutes to change, I’ll be ready to go.” Thea stated, sprinting off towards the house, Roy trailing behind her.

“Well done.” I laughed

“What?” Oliver asked, shooting me a confused look.

“Good job intimidating that poor kid.” I stated

“I’ve seen his arrest record.” Oliver remarked

“Oliver, you’re hardly in a position to judge.” I stated

Oliver ignored me entirely, grabbing the monkey bar, pulling himself up.

“Woah, you're strong.” Lexi exclaimed

Oliver laughed, dropping down.

Lexi hopped off the swing, heading towards the monkey bars.

“Lift me up.” Lexi motioned towards the bar.

Oliver grabbed Lexi, lifting her up to the bar. Lexi started swinging from one bar to another.

“You’re pretty strong yourself.” Oliver stated

“How do you pull yourself over?” Lexi asked

“Lexi, I think you’re a little small for that.” I replied

“You’re small, so you’ll have to use your legs for momentum.” Oliver grabbed the bar, showing her an example.

“Be careful, sweetie.” I warned, watching her try to mimic Oliver’s action. I was sure Oliver would catch her if she fell but it still made me nervous. To my surprise, Lexi managed to pull herself up over.

“Great job, Lexi.” I exclaimed  
  
“You’re strong.” Oliver stated as he helped Lexi down.

“Oliver, your lunch is here.” I spun towards the familiar voice.  
  
“Raisa!” I greeted the woman with a smile.

“Miss Smoak, it’s been a long time. Is that your little one?” Raisa nodded towards Oliver and Lexi, climbing on the playset.

“Yes, she is.” I answered, watching the two with a smile on my face.

“She has her dad’s eyes.” Raisa remarked

I knew there was no point in denying it to Raisa - she had been working for the Queen family since Oliver was a boy, and she would recognize those Queen eyes anywhere, and she was far too loyal to tell anybody.

“She does.” I admitted

“It’s good to see Oliver happy. He deserves to be happy.” Raisa stated

I didn't respond, only nodded in agreement. Raisa informed me that the pizza had arrived and was waiting in the kitchen before going back inside the house.

I made my way over the the slide, watching as Oliver and Lexi rode down together, grabbing my phone out just in time to snap a picture of them both laughing.

“Lunch is here. Who wants pizza?” I asked

“Yes!” Lexi exclaimed  
  
As we headed back towards the house, my phone rang, I glanced at the screen, seeing Ray’s picture.

“You guys go ahead, I’ll be in in a minute.” I stated

Oliver and Lexi headed into the house, and I answered the phone.

“Hey hon.” I greeted

“Hey, I just got home. Where are you guys?” Ray asked

“I thought you weren't getting until tonight.” I stated

“My business meetings didn't run as long as expected.” Ray replied

“Oh, well, I'm out at a friend’s with Lexi. We probably won't be home for a few hours.” I replied

“Are you at Tommy's?” Ray asked

“No. We’re actually at Oliver’s.” I admitted, waiting for an angry reaction.

Ray sighed before speaking, “We’ll talk later. Have a good afternoon.”

He hung up, leaving me with a bad feeling in my stomach. I shook it off and headed inside, finding Oliver and Lexi sitting at the kitchen island, pizza in front of them.

“Hey, grab a plate.” Oliver pointed at the cabinet where the plates were.

I grabbed some pizza, and took the seat next to Lexi, who was expressing her shock at Oliver having never seen Brave; she then launched into a detailed account of why it was the best movie ever. I resisted the urge to giggle as Oliver listened intently. He used to have the same look on his face when I talked tech; interested, even if he didn't understand it.

“Well, I was going to suggest we go swimming, but it looks like it’s going to rain.” Oliver stated as he cleared our plates.

“It does, yeah.” I agreed

“Do you like board games, Lexi?” Oliver asked

“I do.” Lexi replied

“Lucky for us, my mother never gets rid of anything, so we have a closet full of games. Wanna go with me to pick some out?” Oliver asked

“Sure.” Lexi answered, hopping off the bar stool.

“I’ll wait for you guys in the living room.” I stated

I wandered into the living room, glancing at the pictures on the wall; most of them were the Queen family, there were a few of Oliver and Tommy, one of Oliver and Laurel. I stopped at one I immediately recognized; it was from one of the many Queen summer bashes. I was wedged in between Tommy and Oliver, with Laurel on his other side. We were all in our swimsuits, sitting on the edge of the pool, laughing.

“I always liked that picture.” Oliver commented, his arms full of board games.

“We were so young.” I remarked, “Lexi, look. That was me when I was sixteen.”

“Wow, your hair was weird.” Lexi laughed, earning a chuckle from me.

I turned my attention to the stack of board games Oliver had sat on the coffee table.

“What are we playing first?” I asked

“Candyland!” Lexi exclaimed

We all sat down around the coffee table; I watched Oliver set the board up. I could recall at least three different occasions where Thea had convinced us to play with her and Oliver had complained endlessly about Candyland. I hadn't expected him to complain playing with Lexi, but to say I was surprised that he seemed like he was actually having fun would be an understatement.

“Anybody home?” Tommy’s voice surprised me, and apparently Oliver too.

“Tommy? Living room!” Oliver called out

“Oh hey, I didn't realize you two would be here.” Tommy stated as he came into view.

“Uncle Tommy!” Lexi shouted, running over to Tommy, who immediately picked her up and tossed her in the air.

“My favorite girl!” Tommy exclaimed

“We’re going to play operation, will you play with us?” Lexi asked

“Sure.” Tommy replied

Tommy carried Lexi back to the table, setting her down next to me.

“What are you doing here?” Oliver asked

“I was bored.” Tommy shrugged, “And I didn’t realize you would have company.”

I helped Lexi put up Candyland, then set up Operation, while Oliver and Tommy had a hushed conversation that I couldn’t make out. Lexi was oblivious to the sudden tension in the room, but I couldn’t ignore it.

“Tommy, mind helping me in the kitchen with something?” I asked, plastering on a smile.

“Uh, sure.” Tommy looked confused, but followed me. I made sure the kitchen door was closed before I spoke up.

“What’s going on?” I asked

“What do you mean?” Tommy countered

“Your little hushed argument, the obvious tension, your tone when you saw us here. What’s the problem?” I asked

“There’s no problem.” Tommy stated

“You have some kind of problem with it. I’m one of your best friends, I know you. Just speak.” I rolled my eyes.

“I’m just worried.” Tommy shrugged

“About? Weren’t you the one that one Oliver to know Lexi?” I asked

“I do, I just see all the ways this could, and in all likelihood, probably will, end badly. For all of you.” Tommy stated

“What are you talking about?” I asked

“So Oliver gets to know Lexi, and she suddenly has a new father? It’s going to confuse the hell out of her.” Tommy exclaimed, “And she’ll find out eventually, even if you two don’t tell her. Somebody will accidentally say something. Then what?” Tommy asked

“I don’t know, Tommy.” I sighed

“Then there’s the fact that nothing good can come out of you and Oliver spending time together. History repeats itself.” Tommy stated

“Nothing is going to happen between me and Oliver. I’m happy with Ray.” I exclaimed

“But it already has, though. Oliver told me about that kiss. Before you say it was a mistake and not going to happen again, let’s remember that you said that exact same thing the first time you slept with him, and well, look how that turned out.” Tommy didn’t give me a chance to respond, pacing but continuing on, “You fell in love with him, even though I never could figure out why, and I know you love Ray but it’s Oliver. He was always your weakness, Felicity.”

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself, and failed.

“Yes, Tommy, I fell in love with Oliver six years ago. I was young and stupid and I fell for the bad boy with the charming smile and all the right words. I’m not that girl anymore.” I exclaimed

“I’m just trying to look out for you, Lis. I don’t want to see the life you’ve been building for yourself to implode.” Tommy stated

“Please, stop. I’ll be fine. I’m just trying to do what’s best for my daughter, and despite the circumstances, I have to believe that is for her to get to know her father.” I remarked

“She thinks Ray’s her father.” Tommy replied  
  
“Yeah, well, I thought Oliver was dead, so I let her believe that. I didn’t expect any of this. I’m in foreign territory that I never thought I’d be in. I’m trying to figure it out.” I sighed

I was done with this conversation, so I left the kitchen, finding Oliver and Lexi waiting in the living room.

“Can we play now?” Lexi asked

“Let’s do it.” Tommy replied from behind me.

I sat down on the floor next to Oliver.

“Everything okay?” Oliver whispered

“Yeah.” I mumbled, “Lexi, you should go first.”

Lexi set the buzzer off almost immediately, the sound a reminder of why we didn’t have Operation in the house. Tommy went next, setting it almost as quickly as Lexi had, causing him to mumble a curse under his breath. I kicked him under the table and glanced at Lexi. Oliver went next, successfully removing the wishbone.

“Turns out this game isn’t too difficult when you aren’t hammered.” Oliver whispered

“Please, you lost on purpose.” I whispered with a eye roll; there had been plenty of drunken games of Strip Operation in Tommy’s living room, at which Oliver and Tommy were both obviously purposely bad at.

“You…might be right about that.” Oliver smirked

“Felicity.” Tommy’s sharp tone forced me to look at him, “It’s your turn.” He added in a much nicer tone.

I took my turn, almost successful, but ultimately set the buzzer off.

“I always hated this game.” I mumbled

We ended up playing a few rounds of Operation, because Lexi was having a great time. Oliver was certainly letting her win, but Tommy and I were genuinely losing.

“What is that god awful buzzing s-” Moira stopped mid-sentence when she rounded the corner, spotting us.

_Oh god. Here we go._

“Mother.” Oliver greeted, his voice cool.

“I didn't realize there was company.” Moira replied

“Well, I didn't realize,” Oliver paused, taking a deep breath, “you would be home so soon.”

I knew that wasn't what he was going to say.

I locked eyes with Tommy, who had the same ‘uh oh’ look on his face.

Moira was looking at Lexi, her expression unreadable.

“Hi, I’m Lexi. You’re Oliver’s mom?” Lexi didn't wait to be introduced.

“It’s nice to meet you, Lexi. Yes, I’m Oliver's mother, my name is Moira.” Moira replied, a tight smile on her face.

“Lexi, we should probably get going.” I stood up

“You don't have to.” Oliver replied

_Oh yes I do_.

“We have a really busy day tomorrow and Lexi still needs to do her homework, so we do.” I explained

“I’ll walk you out to the car.” Oliver sighed

Based on the look Oliver shot his mother as we walked by her, I knew that it wasn't going to be a fun night in the Queen house.

“I had a lot of fun today, thanks for letting me come over.” Lexi hugged Oliver’s legs before hopping in the backseat of the car.

“Anytime.” Oliver replied

I helped Lexi into her booster seat before closing the door.

“I’m sorry about my mother. I didn't think she’d be home until late tonight.” Oliver sighed

“Oliver, your mother doesn't bother me. I really don't care what she thinks. Five years ago, maybe. Not these days.” I exclaimed as I went to get in the front seat.

“Still, I’m sorry. Have a good night, Felicity.” Oliver stated

  
“Ray?” I called out as soon as we stepped in the house, receiving no response, “Honey, go upstairs. I’ll be up in a few minutes.”

Lexi compiled, and I went to check to see if Ray was in his office. He wasn't, but I could hear music from the basement that Ray had converted into a home gym. I climbed down the stairs, the music getting louder. If he had heard me come in, he ignored it. I stopped at the bottom of the stairs, watching his shirtless back as he hit the punching bag over and over. It wasn't even the aggressiveness that he was punching with that told me he was in a bad mood, it was the fact that My Chemical Romance was blasting. He didn't often listen to them, and when he did, it was because he was angry.

“Would you like a sparring partner?” I asked; we often sparred together, although it was usually more him trying to teach me how to throw a proper punch than anything.

“No.” Ray replied, continuing to punch, “I’m trying to work my aggression out on this damn punching bag and I cannot do that with you.”

“Okay, so you’re mad at me.” I already knew that, though.

“No. Well, yes. But that's just one thing on the list.” Ray halted his assault on the punching bag and turned towards me, “My business trip did not go well, my mother is driving me absolutely insane, there’s a problem at work that I can't figure out, and my sister has something going on with her and refuses to tell me what.”

I sighed.

“Is there anything I can do to help with any of those things?” I asked

“No. But you can explain to me why you felt the need to hide the fact you were going to Oliver’s today.” Ray replied

“I didn't want to fight with you about it.” I admitted

“I wouldn't have fought with you about it, Felicity. It’s not the fact that you took Lexi over there to spend time with Oliver that bothers me. Just like it isn't the fact that Oliver is her father that bothers me. It’s the fact that you feel the need to lie and hide when comes to Oliver that sets red flags off in my head.” Ray remarked, “I’d rather you be honest with me.”

“Honestly? I have no idea what I’m doing or how this going to work with Oliver. He clearly wants to be a part of her life but he doesn't want anybody, including her, to know the truth, so I don't know. It’s all a goddamn mystery to me.” I sighed

“We can figure this out together. Just like we have everything else for the last four and a half years.” Ray exclaimed, closing the distance between us, wrapping his arms around my waist. I stood up on my tiptoes to press a kiss to his lips. My fingers found their way to his hair, pulling him closer, deepening the kiss. In one swift motion, he had picked me up, wrapping my legs around him as he pushed me against the wall.

“Mom? Dad?” Lexi's voice rang out from the top of the stairs, forcing us to pull apart.

“We’ll be upstairs in a second, sweetheart.” I replied

“Oh, the joys of parenting.” Ray laughed

“To be continued.” I kissed him quickly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't have much to say. There's a scene up in the companion series of after Felicity left the Queen mansion. Laurel and Quentin are in the next chapter. We also meet Ray's sister; here's a clue about what to expect, a line from the chapter - "Hurricane Charlotte has arrived, ready to cause trouble." 
> 
> The next two chapters are big ones. I have some fun flashbacks planned as well. 
> 
> As always, let me know what you think, and feel free to hit me up on atiredfangirl.tumblr.com, or on twitter @WithLove_HW, let me know what you think or just say hi, whatever :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello folks! It's been a few weeks. Sorry about that. Life got crazy. At first I was sick, then my computer decided to crash on me, then I was out of town, now I am back in class. College sucks, but I plan on setting time aside to write every day, and hopefully I'll get back to the once a week update. Enjoy!

“Good morning!”

I groaned. _No_.

“Your key is supposed to be for emergencies, Charlotte.” Ray snapped, his voice still sleepy.

“I rang the bell, you didn't answer. For all I knew you were dead.”

I sighed, finally opening my eyes, glancing over to the door frame. _Hurricane Charlotte has arrived, ready to wreak havoc._

“You aren't supposed to be here for another two hours.” I remarked

Charlotte shrugged in response.

“Well, I’ll go play with my beautiful niece and let you two, um, get dressed.” Charlotte laughed, motioning to the discarded clothes from the day before on the ground.

Once I was sure she was out of earshot, I turned towards Ray.

“You can pick out the bridesmaid dresses if it means I don't have to spend the entire day with your mother and sister.” I laughed

“Oh, it won't be that bad.” Ray remarked

I hopped out of the bed, moving to get dressed.

“You said yesterday that you thought she was keeping something from you.” I remarked

“Because she is. She’s my baby sister, I know when she’s hiding something.” Ray replied; _baby sister_. That was the problem with Ray and Charlotte; he still saw her as his baby sister, not as the nineteen year old party girl she had grown into. He still saw her as a sweet little girl, and refused to see her as anything else.

“Maybe you can get her to talk to you?” Ray asked

“I can try.” I knew very well she wouldn't tell me. She didn't even like me, she had made that abundantly clear many times. “You mentioned your mother was making you crazy. Do I need to prepare for that too?”

“She probably won't bring it up with you. She actually thought that I wouldn't invite my father.” Ray sighed

“Seriously? Can those two not pretend that they don't despise each other for one day?” I asked

“Well, I mean, they take turns coming to birthdays so…” Ray exclaimed

“We’ll just have to sit them as far away from each other as possible.” I sighed

“Why are my parents crazy?” Ray groaned

“Well, I’m supposed to be meeting Q for coffee in...twenty minutes. I’ll be back to pick up Lottie later.” I stated

“Have fun.” Ray replied

  
Twenty minutes later, I walked into Quentin’s favorite diner, finding him already waiting.

“Hi Q.” I greeted him with a hug, “Thanks for coming.”

I sat down across from him in the booth, thankful he’d already ordered me a coffee.

“Of course. I mean, I admit I was a little surprised when you said you wanted to get coffee without your mom.” Quentin remarked

“I’m sure, but I, um, I wanted to ask a favor.” I rambled

“You name it.” Quentin replied

“Well, you know my father isn't around, hasn't been. Obviously you know that. And I know that I’m not your daughter, but um, I wanted to ask if you would walk me down the aisle. It would be a lot to me, and I know it’s mean a lot to my mom.” I don't know why I was so nervous, but I was, and it showed by the rambling.

“It would be my honor.” Quentin smiled

“Thank you.” I smiled

With impeccable timing, my phone rang, Oliver’s picture across the screen. I quickly ignored the call, but I knew Quentin had seen it.

“Sorry about that.” I mumbled

When I had the nerve to look at Quentin, he had the same disapproving look on his face as the night of Oliver’s party, when he’d found in his room.

“I figured out the math of when you met Ray and when Lexi was born didn't add up a long time ago.” Quentin remarked

I sighed. I had long since dreaded this conversation.

“When I saw you with him at that party, I started doing the math. Lexi was born in April, so I figured July…July 2007 rang a bell. That was the month your whole group spent in Australia. Except you and Queen.” Quentin sounded surprisingly calm, “I remember thinking at the time that it didn't make sense for Queen to pass up a month long party trip with his whole crew, including his girlfriend. I remember thinking his excuse was terrible too, although I can't remember what it was.”

“He had to prepare for school starting.” My voice was barely above a whisper.

“Like Oliver Queen ever prepared for school a day in his life.” Quentin shook his head.

“Yeah, I told him that was a terrible excuse.” I admitted

Quentin sighed.

“Laurel deserves to know.” Quentin remarked

“I...I know. But I don't know how. I can't ask you to lie for me, I will tell her. Just, give me a few days? Please.” I asked

“Okay.” Quentin agreed

My phone rang again, Oliver’s face popping up again. I ignored it again.

“I don't get it.” Quentin exclaimed

“Get what?” I asked

“You, Laurel, Sara. All three of you, incredible women, always have been, and you all fell for Oliver Queen’s bullshit.” Quentin replied

I bite my lower lip, resisting the urge to defend Oliver; it wasn't what Quentin wanted to hear and he wouldn't believe it anyways.

“You didn't even particularly seem to like Oliver as a human being for the first year after you met him.” Quentin remarked

_True_.

“You’re right, I didn't. It took a long time for me to see the side of Oliver that even made me think of him as a friend. He didn't make it easy to see. He was absolute ass to anybody he didn't like or trust. But there was another side to him.” I sighed

“I sure as hell never saw it.” Quentin replied

“You didn't look. Oliver, for his many, many, many flaws, loved Laurel. He would have jumped in front of a bullet for her. Or Tommy, or Thea.” I remarked

“Yet he didn't care enough to stay faithful.” Quentin retorted

“You won't hear any arguments from me that he was an ass ninety nine percent of the time. He absolutely was. And he cheated on Laurel, but you cannot blame that entirely on Oliver. Sara and I were not innocent in that.” I knew my words would piss him off, but I still said them, “We both knew what we were doing was wrong.”

Quentin was silent for a minute.

“If I remember correctly, you have somewhere to be soon.” Quentin finally spoke up.

“Yeah.” An afternoon with Grace and Charlotte Palmer, Laurel, Caitlin, and my mother. This is going to be lovely.

“I’ll see you tomorrow night at dinner.” Quentin stated

“Right.” I replied, standing up, “I want you to know that I never wanted to hurt Laurel.”

“I know.”

  
“Are we picking your mother up or is she meeting us there?” I asked as Charlotte climbed in the car.

“Oh, she didn't call you? She can't make it. Some emergency meeting at work.” Charlotte replied

_Great_. I had been counting on Grace as a buffer with Charlotte.

“Why isn't Lexi coming with us so she can get her flower girl dress?” Charlotte asked

“We’re doing that together, just the two of us. Mother daughter thing.” I replied

Charlotte started switching the radio around, never landing on a station for more than half a song. After five minutes, I couldn't take it anymore, shutting it off completely.

“Is there anything you want to talk about?” I asked

“Does my brother honestly think I’d tell you anything that I didn't want him to know?” Charlotte asked

“I can keep a secret.” I replied

“Well, that much I believe. But we’re not friends. We’re not sisters. Just because you’re marrying my brother doesn't mean we’re suddenly going to be BFFs, sitting around braiding each other's hair and gossiping.” Charlotte snapped

“Whatever, Charlotte. Don't tell me anything. I told your brother I’d try.” I replied

We pulled into my mother’s driveway, for which I was thankful. At least Charlotte usually behaved in front of others. I honked my horn, too tired already to bother with getting out. My mother and Laurel emerged quickly, climbing in the backseat.

Charlotte was on her best behavior the rest of the drive, and I hoped she would stay on it for the rest of the day.

“Hey, there you are!” Caitlin greeted us as soon as we stepped inside the shop.

“Hey Cait, thanks for coming.” I hugged my best friend.

“As maid of honor, I think it's kind of required.” Caitlin laughed

The store owner greeted us, asking what we were looking for.

“The colors are black, white, and red. I don't see why we can't wear red. Black is boring.” Charlotte exclaimed

“Black is classic, and it’s Felicity’s wedding.” Laurel remarked

“Whatever.” Charlotte remarked

“Thanks.” I mumbled quietly to Laurel, who smiled and patted my shoulder in response.

“She’s kind of awful.” Laurel stated once Charlotte was out of earshot, looking at dresses.

I nodded, accepting the champagne glass one of the employees offered me.

“Sweetie, are you okay?” My mother asked

“Yeah, fine. This is just isn't my thing.” I replied

My phone rang, I glanced down at the screen.

“I have to take this. Can you...supervise this?” I asked

My mother nodded, and I stepped outside the shop.

“Hi Oliver.” I answered

“Hey, I was beginning to worry.” Oliver remarked

“It’s been a busy morning.” I sighed

“Everything okay?” Oliver asked

“Yeah, but um, Quentin knows about us. And Lexi.” I replied

“Oh.”

“I have to tell Laurel.” I exclaimed, hearing Oliver sigh.

“Do you want me to do it?” Oliver asked

“No, it should be me.” I stated

“If you’re sure.” Oliver spoke to somebody in the background, but it sounded like he had covered his phone, “So feel free to say no, but Thea wanted me to invite you to her birthday party tomorrow night.”

“I...I can't say for sure. I’ll try. I have to get going, I’m bridesmaid dress shopping.” I remarked

“Have fun shopping.” Oliver laughed

“As if. I'll talk to you later.” I hung up, turning to go back in the shop, finding Charlotte behind me.

“I just came to grab you. We have some dresses picked out.” Charlotte remarked

“I’m coming.” I replied

Some dresses, I quickly realized, meant about two dozen.  
  
“How did you guys find so many so fast?” I asked  
  
“Divide and conquer.” Laurel replied

“Are we all expected to wear the same dress? Because that could be problematic.” Charlotte already sounded bored.

“No, you don't have to wear the same dress. As long as they go well together.” I replied

Laurel and Caitlin found their dresses within the first hour; a classic one shoulder gown for Laurel, and a halter gown for Caitlin. Charlotte was clearly determined to try on every black gown in the store, while the rest of sat on the couch, watching.

“I look so fat.” I knew Charlotte was fishing for a compliment as she twirled in front of the mirror in what I estimated to be around the thirtieth dress. I was going to play into that, though. She was damn proud of her size four frame, and never shy of flaunting it.

I pulled my phone out of my purse. **Your sister is being difficult.**

Within thirty seconds of sending the text, Charlotte’s phone went off. Whatever Ray said to her was effective, as her expression went from smug to nervous.

“Well, I think I like the one with the slit up the leg.” Charlotte remarked

“That’s fine.” She could have picked any dress in the store and I would have agreed.

“Seriously? That was third dress she tried on.” Caitlin grumbled

  
Twenty minutes later, we were all back in my car.

"Sweetie, you can just drop me off at Mel’s. I’m meeting Quentin there.” My mother chimed in.

“How many meals a day does that man eat there? He was just there this morning.” I exclaimed

“Too many. His cholesterol is gonna kill him.” Laurel stated

Mel’s Diner wasn't far from Laurel’s apartment; I dropped her off after my mother, leaving me alone with my future step sister.

"Do you want to grab something to eat?" I asked

"Sure. Big Belly Burger?" Charlotte's suggestion surprised me, as she was usually anti anything fried.

"Okay." I headed towards the fast food joint that I had frequented often as a teenager. I didn't indulge in fried foods much anymore; the media liked report that Ray and I were expecting every time I gained a pound or just ate too much.

When we walked in the restaurant, I noticed Charlotte looking around; I followed her line of sight and saw Oliver and his bodyguard sitting in a booth.  
  
"Oliver!"

Oliver's eyes glanced up at Charlotte's voice, his eyes widening as he saw us.

"Felicity? Lottie?" Oliver looked dumbfounded.

It was no coincidence that she chose Belly Burger, I knew that immediately. I was too preoccupied by fact that Oliver knew Charlotte and looked extremely nervous about the fact we were together to wonder how she knew he would be here.

"Hey, mind if we join you?" Charlotte didn't wait for response before dropping down into the booth next to Oliver. I slide in next to Diggle, my eyes never leaving Oliver.

"So, how do you two know each other?" Diggle asked, glancing between me and Charlotte.

"She's about to be my sister in law." Charlotte replied, using her overly sweet voice she usually reserved for when she wanted something.

"You're Charlotte Palmer?" Oliver looked at Charlotte, seeming even more uncomfortable than before.

"How do you two know each other?" I wasn't doing a great job of masking my annoyance, too busy watching the way Charlotte casually brushed her hand over Oliver's shoulder.

"We met a few weeks ago at Poison. I was there with Thea, bumped into him and Tommy." Charlotte replied

I didn't respond, other than to shoot Oliver a suspicious glare.

"But you two go way back, right?" I didn't trust the look on Charlotte's face at all.

"We met in high school." Oliver stated

"Right. You two and Merlyn ran together." Charlotte looked towards me, "I can't imagine you fitting in with their crowd."

"Carly, fantastic timing!" Diggle looked relieved as the waitress walked up to the table. I was also grateful for the reprieve from conversation while we placed our orders.

"Oliver, can we speak privately?" It wasn't so much a request as a demand, as I rose from the booth. I didn't glance back but I knew he would follow me outside.

"I honestly never made the connection between Thea's friend Lottie and Ray's sister Charlotte." Oliver exclaimed as soon as we were alone.

"What the hell is happening in there? She hasn't taken her hand off you the whole time we've been in there. Did you sleep with her?" I asked

"What? No. Of course not. She's barely older than Thea." Oliver remarked

"She's sure being flirty." I stated

"I can't exactly control a teenage girl with a crush." Oliver laughed

"I know," I sighed, "She's just exasperating me. She always does, granted."

"I can tell." Oliver laughed

"Better get back inside." I remarked

Oliver opened the door, motioning me forward.

It was too quiet. Nobody spoke during our lunch. Nothing good ever came out of Charlotte being quiet; I knew that even she did decide to speak up, it would be something rude or offensive.  
After we had finished eating, the waitress cleared our plates. Diggle introduced us to her, explaining that she had been married to his late brother; I could tell he was just trying to fill the silence.

"Well, we should probably get going." I stated

"Probably." Charlotte replied, but made no movement to get up, flashing me a mischievous grin, "So Oliver, how long did you cheat on your girlfriend with Felicity for?"

Diggle coughed awkwardly as I shot Charlotte a death glare.

"Charlotte!" I snapped

"What? It doesn't take a genius." Charlotte shrugged, "It makes so much more sense now. I mean I always assumed you got pregnant to trap Ray because you saw dollar signs, but this makes me wonder even more. I'm just curious; how did you con my brother into raising another man's baby?"

Ignoring Oliver and Diggle's shocked expressions, I stood up.

"We're leaving. Now." She made no movement, so I plastered on a fake grin, leaning down next to her, "You can get up, or I can grab your arm and drag you out of here."

"It was nice seeing you again, Oliver." Charlotte smiled, "See you around."

I stormed out of the restaurant to my car, slamming the door after I climbed in. I refused to speak the entire car ride, knowing if I did, it would come out as yelling.

"What happened?" Ray asked as soon as stepped inside the house.

"I finally figured out why Lexi doesn't look anything like you." Charlotte replied

Ray glanced at me, but I shrugged.

"She's your sister, this is between the two of you." I stated

I moved up the stairs, going to see Lexi, but found her asleep. I stood at the top of the stairs, listening to Ray and Charlotte.

"It doesn't change anything, Lottie. Biological or not, Lexi's my daughter, she's your niece." Ray stated

"But she's not." Charlotte replied

"She is. We've been her family her entire life." Ray remarked

I couldn't hear Charlotte's response, but Ray raised his voice ever so slightly, so it must have irritated him.

"That doesn't really matter, Charlotte. It's not really any of your damn business anyways." Ray snapped

  
After listening to Ray and Charlotte bicker for a few minutes, I decided I would rather be out than around them. I didn't know where I was heading at first, but before I pulled in the parking lot of Laurel's apartment complex. When I knocked on the door, it occurred to me I probably should have called first, but Laurel answered the door quickly, a smile on her face.

"Felicity! Hey, come on in." Laurel motioned me forward.

I stepped in her living room, it seemed different. I hadn't been in it a while, but it was definitely less girly than it had been. A Rockets blanket flung across the couch. Less flowers. Sure signs that Tommy spent a lot of time in her apartment.

“How was dress shopping?” Tommy asked as he emerged from the bedroom, still in his pajamas pants.

“Charlotte Palmer is a nightmare,” Laurel tossed a shirt from the couch towards him, “Put a shirt on, Tommy.”

“I already knew Charlotte was the she-devil.” Tommy pulled the wrinkled shirt on over his head.

“Ray and Charlotte were arguing so I had to get out of the house. I hope it's okay that I just dropped by." I stated

"Of course. You're always welcome." Laurel sat down on the couch, motioning for me to sit next to her, "What were they are arguing about?"

Laurel’s question was blaring reminder that I promised to tell her the truth.

“Family stuff." I shrugged

“Well, I gotta go.” Tommy suddenly announced; Oliver must have told him that I was going to tell Laurel.

“Where are you going?” Laurel asked

“The club. Lots to do. Bye!” The speed at which Tommy bolted from the apartment would have made me laugh, had I not felt like throwing up.

“That was weird.” Laurel stated

I sat down on the couch next to Laurel.

“Laurel, I...I need to talk to you about something.” My voice gave away my nerves.

“Is everything okay?” Laurel asked

“Yeah, it’s fine. It’s about Oliver.” I sighed

“What about Oliver?” Laurel asked

“I…” Normally I had too many words, but of course they failed me when I needed them, “Ray isn't Lexi's biological father.” That was not how I wanted to blurt it out.

“What? What does that have to do with Ol-” Laurel’s eyes went wide, “What? You and Oliver?” Laurel hopped off the couch, “You slept with Oliver. Oliver's Lexi father. Of course he is. I should have known. Those eyes.”

“Laurel, I am so sorry. I’m sorry I did it, I’m sorry I never told you, I’m sorry.” I wanted to cry.

“How...when? How long?” Laurel asked, “Was this a one time thing or an ongoing thing?”

“It was, um, on going for a while.” I admitted

“How long?” Laurel demanded

“It started on my birthday, when I turned seventeen. And it lasted until the morning he got on that damn yacht.” I admitted

“That was...almost a year and half. You were with him for a year and a half.” Laurel stated

“I’m sorry, Laurel. I was young, and he was…” Charming didn't seem like the right word, but I couldn't think of an accurate word.

“He was Oliver.” Laurel mumbled

Laurel was pacing.

“I have to go. Please lock the door when you see yourself out.” Laurel stated

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Confession time; this chapter originally was planned to be very different. I basically rewrote the whole thing three times. But I'm pretty happy with the end result. The next chapter is a big one. Literally. It's long. But the next few are all important. 
> 
> I have a couple of flashbacks up in the companion series. I might be posting a scene of Laurel confronting Oliver after finding out about him and Felicity, but it wasn't finished and I wanted to get this up ASAP. 
> 
> As always, let me know what you think, and feel free to hit me up on atiredfangirl.tumblr.com, or on twitter @WithLove_HW, let me know what you think or just say hi, whatever :)


	8. Chapter 8

“No, that’s not acceptable. It’s not. You’re supposed to be geniuses, figure it out!” Ray snapped into his phone before tossing it on the bed. I sighed, watching him pace. He had been doing that a lot for the past three days.

“Ray, you have to calm down. I know that work is stressing you out but you have to relax. When was the last time you slept more than two consecutive hours?” I asked

“You’re one to talk. You go for days with barely any sleep when you're working on something." Ray remarked

Ray’s phone rang, and he left the room. I sighed, checking my phone. I quickly typed out a text to Tommy.

_You busy? I need to get out of the house for a while. Ray is in one of his moods._

I had learned a long time ago that when Ray got in one of these moods, there was nothing I could do. It always happened when a problem occurred that he couldn't fix, or when there was something out of his control. Whatever project Palmer Tech was working on, it wasn't going well. He wouldn't tell me what the project was, but that wasn't entirely unusual.

_At the club, working. You’re welcome to join me._ I stared at his reply for minute, deciding.

“Ray?” I stuck my head into his office after quickly throwing on some clothes.

“Hmm?” He didn't look up from his laptop.

“Lexi’s crashed for the night, and I’m going to go to Tommy’s for a while.” I stated

“Have fun.” Ray mumbled, distracted.

The drive into the Glades late at night was normally something I would avoid, but I ignored my better judgment, heading straight for the nightclub that Tommy and Oliver had devoted most of their time into for the past few months. The sign out front was already lit, even though the next day was it's grand opening.

_Here_. I texted Tommy, waiting until I saw him open the front door to get out of my car.

“Remind me again why Oliver decided to open a nightclub in the worst part of the worst side of town?” I asked as Tommy locked the door behind us.

“You should ask him. If he ever tells you, be sure to let me know.” Tommy laughed

“It looks amazing in here, though. You’ve done a great job.” I remarked, looking around the club.

“We’re fully stocked for opening, so if you want a drink, help yourself.” Tommy motioned to the bar.

“I’m good, thanks.” I sat down at the end of the bar, watching Tommy going over paperwork. It was an odd sight. “You’re really taking this seriously.”

“I was pleasantly surprised to find that I actually enjoy this whole working thing.” Tommy replied

“See, your dad did you a favor cutting you off.” I exclaimed

“Maybe. Still an asshole though.” Tommy snapped, although I knew it wasn't directed at me.

“Has he done something else?” I asked; his anger seemed renewed.

“I don't know,” Tommy sighed, “Thea thinks him and Moira are having an affair.”

I laughed, then stopped abruptly, seeing his expression.

“You can't be serious.” I stated

“Walter left. And I...may have charmed my father’s assistant into admitting they’ve been meeting at least once a week for the past few months.” Tommy explained

“They’re old friends, Tommy. Robert Queen was your father’s best friend. And who knows why Walter left.” I replied

“But it makes sense, doesn't it? I can see it in your face that you think it makes sense. They’re two of a kind.” Tommy remarked

“I don't know, Tommy. They’re both strange people and they’re both as secretive as they come, so they’ll never admit it if they are.” I replied, hopping off the bar stool, “Maybe a drink doesn't sound so bad.”

“Make me one.” Tommy laughed

We were silent while I mixed up our drinks, an art I had mastered in high school.

“Stupid tablet.” Tommy grumbled as I sat back down, repeatedly tapping the screen with more force than necessary.

“Hey now, violence isn't going to make technology work.” I remarked

“This thing is a piece of crap.” Tommy whined

“Gimme.” I sighed, reaching for it. I glanced over the screen quickly.

“Is this the software you're using on all the computers in here?” I asked

“Yeah.” Tommy replied

“The coding is a mess. I’ll fix it.” I started typing away, absentmindedly. It didn't require my full brain power. “How’s Laurel?”

I had tried to call her a few times, only to receive no response, not that I had expected one.

“I couldn't tell you. She’s barely speaking to me.” Tommy replied

“I'm sorry.” I sighed; I had been worried about the repercussions of my telling her the truth wouldn't end up only hurting my relationship with her, or Oliver’s. Was I surprised to learn that she was also mad at Tommy for keeping it from her for all those years? No. It just added another level to the guilt.

“She really decked Oliver though. It was kind of beautiful.” Tommy laughed, “I mean, he definitely did deserve it.”

“I know you love her, Tommy, so I’m sorry that this is blowing up in your face.” I watched Tommy shrug, trying to appear nonchalant.

“It’s not your fault. I could have told her. I should have. I should have told her when I first found out about you two.” Tommy stated

“Why didn't you? I know you were loyal to Oliver but Laurel was your friend too. It wasn't like you were okay with it. I had truly expected you to tell her right away, you were so pissed.” I remarked

“I was loyal to Oliver, but that wasn't it. Part of me would have wondered if I had told her to be a good friend or because I was hoping that if Oliver was out of the picture, I would stand a chance.” Tommy sighed

I didn't exactly know how to respond to that. I had always known how Tommy felt about Laurel; he had never said anything to me, although I was sure he had discussed it with Sara, but it wasn't hard to figure out.

“I wouldn't have liked living with that. So I didn't say anything.” Tommy shrugged

There was a lull in conversation as I typed, until Tommy laughed, forcing me to look up.

“What?” I asked as I picked up my drink.

“I didn't tell you, it wasn't a text message kind of conversation. Thea kissed me.” I nearly choked on my drink.

“What?” I couldn't have heard that correctly, “Thea, as in Thea Queen, as in Oliver’s baby sister kissed you?”

“At her birthday. I pushed her away and sent her home in cab after that. She was drunk and emotional.” Tommy shrugged

“For the sake of your health, I urge you to never speak of that to Oliver.” I replied

“It’s already agreed to never be spoken of again on both our accounts. She was pretty mortified when she sobered up.” Tommy remarked

“I’m sorry I missed this party, it sounds like it was a real entertaining night.” I laughed

“Where were you, by the way? I thought you were coming.” Tommy stated

“I was at home. Lexi wasn't feeling well last night.” I explained

“Is she okay?” Tommy was immediately concerned. I nodded. “She at home with Ray?” 

“Sleeping soundly while he functions on no sleep and more coffee than any one human should consume in a week. There's some classified project at Palmer Tech that isn't going well." I stated as I kept typing away on the keyboard.

We sat in comfortable silence while I finished working on the tablet.

“All fixed.” I remarked, handing it back to Tommy.

“You’re a lifesaver, Felicity Smoak. If you need a job now that you quit QC, I’m sure we could find something for you here.” Tommy laughed

“I’m good, thanks. But that does remind me I need to finish clearing out my office. I’ve been putting it off, trying to avoid running into anyone.” I sighed

“It’s eleven at night, it’s probably pretty empty at this point.” Tommy remarked

“Are you trying to get rid of me, Merlyn?” I teased

“No, but I am about to head home. I'd invite you over, but Oliver and Thea have been crashing there and it's a full house." Tommy laughed

“Walk me to my car then.” I replied

I waited while Tommy locked up, then linked my arm though his.

“You are coming to opening night, right?” Tommy asked as we reached the car.

“Of course, Tommy. I wouldn't miss it. I’m so proud of you and Oliver.” I hugged my best friend tightly.

“Thanks, Lis.” Tommy opened the car door for me, leaning down to kiss my cheek, "Drive safe. I'll see you tomorrow."

  
Queen Consolidated was never empty, but at after midnight on a Thursday, now technically Friday, it was as close at it got. I knew security was there, and probably a few work obsessed higher ups, but the IT department was empty.

I sat at my now empty desk, staring at the box of my belongings. It had been my desk since I first started at QC, fresh out of college. Walter Steele had begun trying to persuade me to join their tech team during my last semester at MIT. Other companies had tried to do the same, including Tommy’s father and Ray, although the last one was never really an option; I did not want to be known as the girl who got her job because she was dating the boss. Working for Tommy’s father wasn't exactly something I considered for long, either. I didn't particularly like the man, I definitely had no desire to have him as a boss. Working for QC made sense; it was a great job at a great company, and Walter had made sure my hours would be flexible, knowing I had a daughter that came first.

I sighed, picking up the box. I gave my office a final look before flipping the light off, heading for the parking garage. I climbed in my car, setting the box on the passenger's seat.

“Felicity, please don't scream.” The fact that I immediately knew the voice kept me from screaming, but it didn't stop my heart from skipping a beat out of shock.

“Oliver, what the hell are you doing in m-” I turned around to face him, stopping mid-word at the sight in front me, “Oh my god, Oliver.”

He was curled up across the backseat, his face scrunched up in pain. There was so much blood covering the green suit.

“You're, you’re bleeding.” I stammered

“I don't need to be told that.” Oliver groaned

“Right. You need a hospital. Right now.” I started the engine, immediately trying to remember which hospital would be closest.

“Verdant. I need to go to Verdant.” Oliver moaned

“What? Oliver, you need a doctor, not a drink.” _I could use a drink though_.

"Felicity...You have to promise me that you are going to take me to Verdant and nowhere else."

"Yeah, promise." I mumbled, putting the car in drive.

I sped out of the parking lot, through the streets. I was sure to get a few red light tickets in the mail.

“Talk to me, Oliver. Please don't pass out.” I begged as we got closer to the club I had just left a mere hour and half ago. It already felt like a lifetime ago.

“There’s...there’s an a basement entrance in the back of the club. Passcode…” Oliver trailed off, raising my heart rate.

“Oliver! Stay awake! What is the passcode?” I asked

“041808.” Oliver’s voice was weak, but I could see the sign for Verdant. I immediately recognized the number, but that wasn't important at the moment.

“Get Dig.” Oliver mumbled as I came to a stop in front of the club.

I jumped out of the car, running towards the door. Oliver had told me the passcode for the basement, but not the main door. But Tommy was in charge of the club. I knew Tommy, and he was a predictable man. I typed in the same passcode he used on his phone, 070410. It opened immediately.

My hands were shaking as I hastily typed in the basement code, and booked it down the stairs. I halted in my tracks as the man pointed a gun in my direction. He lowered it as he realized who I was.

“Can you help me? He’s hurt.” My voice sounded as shaky as I felt.

John Diggle, the man I had met as Oliver's bodyguard, took of running for the stairs. I followed behind him as quickly as I could. I tried to help lug Oliver into the club and down the stairs, but I didn't do much. Diggle did all the heavy lifting. Once Oliver was on the table, Diggle moved quickly.

"He just missed a carotid." Diggle was moving so fast I couldn't tell what he was doing, "It's a zone two wound." He tossed me compressions, "Press there."

I pressed the gauze where he told me, trying to take deep breaths to calm my nerves. It failed.

"I should have taken him to a hospital." I was crying now, or maybe I had been for a while and didn't realize it, I couldn't tell.

"No, Felicity, that's why he asked you to bring him here." Diggle insisted

"Because he knew the police would want to know how and why he got the wound. How and why were never Oliver Queen's favorite questions." I remarked

"Yeah, well, there's also when and where, he's not too fond of." Diggle replied, and had Oliver not been bleeding out in front of me, I probably would have laughed.

"So if we can't bring him to the hospital..." I watched as Diggle rolled out medical equipment.

"We bring the hospital to him." Diggle stated as he grabbed a blood bag from a drawer.  
  
"Is that..." I suddenly felt nauseous.

"Yeah. His blood. He stored it for a rainy day. And I say right now, it's pouring."

"Do you know what you're doing?" I asked

"Yeah, I had some medical training in the army. I just hope it's enough."

_It better be._

"Remember playing 'Operation' when you were a kid?" Diggle asked

"Yes. And I remember playing it last week with Oliver and Lexi. And it never made me want to throw up." I took deep breaths. _In and out, Felicity._

"Hey, Felicity, listen, trust me. He'll be fine. He's been through a lot worse than this." Diggle exclaimed

I looked all the scars on his body. The last time I saw them I wanted to cry, thinking of what Oliver had been through. But at the moment, they served as a reminder; _Oliver Queen is a fighter, he will pull through this_. I repeated those words over and over in my mind for next few minutes as Diggle worked on Oliver.

"Good job. I think." I sighed

"His heart rate's elevated, but at least the bleeding stopped. Thanks for your help. You kept your head on."

"Well, I always wondered how I'd react if I found my ex...whatever Oliver was, shot and bleeding inside my car. Not that I helped because he's my daughter's father. I'd help anyone who was shot and bleeding in my car." Now that I had slowed down, the realization of everything that had happened was starting to hit me. I fought back at the panic attack that I felt looming over my head. _Not now, you can freak out once Oliver is okay._

"I was thinking all of this would be more of a shock. Oliver being the hood and all." Diggle remarked

I shot him a look. _Seriously_?

"What, are you saying you called this all along?"

"I'm not saying anything. Except Oliver brought me a laptop riddled with bullet holes, had me trace a black arrow, and research a company involved in armored car heists. I may be blonde, but I'm not that blonde." I had known. I knew it was true, although a part of me preferred having even a tiny bit of doubt.

"Yeah, Oliver's not too great with the cover stories." Diggle laughed

"Neither are you. The two of you with that whole energy drink hangover cure? Please." I went to sit down at the desk, every inch of my body suddenly exhausted, "What was really in that vial, anyway?"

"Vertigo." Diggle replied

"I knew it! I mean, I didn't know it was Vertigo for sure, but I definitely knew it wasn't something that could cure a hangover." Looking at the ingredients, I had suspected it would have caused one hell of a hangover, not cure it.

"Yeah, we needed it analyzed so we could take down the Count." Diggle remarked

"That was you and Oliver?" I had been happy to hear the man responsible for the drug flooding the city was caught. I hadn't heard any mention of the Hood on the news story, though.

"And you, Felicity. Without you, we never would have found him." Diggle exclaimed

"But why come to me? Oliver obviously wants to keep me away from this, or he would have told me about it, asked me to help." I replied

"Hard as it probably is for him to admit, even Oliver needs help sometimes. And he trusts you. Implicitly." Diggle remarked

I smiled slightly. But then Oliver was convulsing on the table while the machines connected to him went wild.

“What's happening?” My previous fears came rushing back.

“There's a syringe labeled Ativan. It should stop the seizure. Go!” Diggle pointed at a drawer. I dug through it until I found it, rushing it over to Diggle. I had to look away while he injected it. And then it was quiet. _Too quiet._

“His heart stopped.” Diggle stated

“I'm calling 9-1-1.” If it was protecting Oliver’s secret or Oliver’s life, his life was going to win.

“No. Wait, you can't.” Diggle wheeled out another machine, the one they use to restart a heart. I suddenly felt nauseous again.

“You know how to use one of those?” I asked

“We are about to find out.” Diggle replied as he charged the machine.

“You didn't say clear!” I jumped back, away from the table. But then nothing happened.

“I heard the charge. That's good news.” I rushed over to the machine.

“How's that?” Diggle asked

“It means it might not be the machine, it could be the wiring.”

“Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on.” I did my best to tune Diggle out as I worked.  
“Try again.” I demanded

“Clear.”

I let out a sigh of relief as the machine worked this time, watching as the heart monitor started beeping again.

“What the hell did you do?” Diggle asked

“I’ve been building computers since I was seven. Wires are wires.” I remarked, sitting back down, “What do we do now?”

“Pray we don't have a heart attack ourselves.” Diggle remarked

I sighed, exhausted.

“I think we’ve earned ourselves a drink. We have vodka, or whatever is upstairs.” Diggle stated

“Vodka is fine.” There was no way I was going upstairs. The thought of moving was exhausting.

Diggle moved to grab the vodka as I stared at the photos on the wall above a cot that looked entirely uncomfortable. One of Thea and Moira, one of Tommy and Laurel, and one of me and Lexi. Right in the middle, the school picture of Lexi that I had given him.

“He cares about her, you know. He may not show it, but he does.” Diggle remarked as he caught me looking at the photo.

“I know.” I whispered

“It’s why he will push you both away. He thinks it’s too dangerous for him to care. He thinks you’re safer if he stays away.” Diggle sighed

“He doesn't realize the flaw in his logic.” I accepted the glass he offered me, “You do.”

Diggle nodded as I took a sip of the vodka.

“He doesn't realize that you’re in danger regardless of if he’s close or not, because he does care about you both. So if somebody knows who he is…” Diggle trailed off.

“Exactly.” I replied, “But it’s not just because this is dangerous. I know that. Oliver’s never been one to show he cares, even when he does.”

“So he was always like this?” Diggle replied

“Pretty much. There was always two versions of Oliver; the reckless, selfish, cocky, party boy who drank his weight in tequila every week and chased girls and dropped out one school after another,” I rolled my eyes, “and then there was the one who would have done anything for the people he cared about, however few there were, who secretly read philosophy books and was a lot smarter than he let on.” I sighed, downing the vodka, “Why he had these two versions of himself would keep me up at night. I never could understand why he wanted people to believe he was some spoiled asshole who didn't care about anything, yet when he was alone with his best friends, or his sister, he became a totally different person.”

“Oliver made it sound like you two had some brief fling. It sounds like you loved him.” Diggle remarked

“I was a fling, but it wasn't brief. And I did. But I always knew he didn't love me. He loved that I made him feel better about himself.” I shrugged, “It was a lifetime ago, anyways.”

The machines started beeping wildly again.

“He's going into cardiac arrest again.” Diggle rushed over to his side. I rushed over to the machine

“No. Ah. The leads just came loose.” I sighed

“It's less stressful when he's jumping off rooftops.” Diggle groaned

“How did this happen?” I asked, motioning to the wound.

“He went to confront Moira.” Diggle replied

“His mother did this?” I almost shouted

“She’s involved in something. A fact he doesn't want to hear.” Diggle remarked

“Blinders.” I mumbled, “What is she involved in?”

“No idea. But it's nothing good. It looks like Malcolm Merlyn and her are involved.” Diggle explained

My thoughts immediately went to Tommy.

“Malcolm Merlyn has always been a bastard. Shady as hell.” I sighed

“So I hear. You and his son are friends, right? That's how you met Oliver?” Diggle asked

“Yeah.” I replied, “So how did Oliver know I would be at QC?”

The question had been bugging me since I found him in my car.

“Oliver always knows where you are, Felicity. And Thea. And Lexi, and Tommy, Laurel, and his mother.” Diggle replied

“How, though?” I asked

Diggle looked away and I realized how.

“Where is the tracker?” I asked

“I have no earthly idea.” Diggle replied

“It’d have to be always on me. Like my phone.” I grabbed my phone out of my purse. I took the back off, but there was nothing.

“Did he implant a tracker on me and my daughter without my knowledge?” I demanded

“Please yell at him, not me.” Diggle remarked

“Oh, don't worry, I plan on it.” I looked over at an unconscious Oliver.

“He just wants to protect you both.” Diggle stated

“Yeah, I know.” I sighed

I picked the bow off the table, surprised by it’s weight.

“This bow has put arrows in quite a few people.” I remarked

“Yeah, bad people.” Diggle stated

“That doesn't bother you?” I glanced at Diggle as I sat the bow back down, “Because... And I mean this in a good way, you seem like the kind of guy it would bother.”

“I saw a lot in the Army. Did a lot too. Things that made me question whether or not I was still a good man. But doing this with Oliver has made me feel good again about what I'm doing for the first time in a long time.” Diggle explained

“And that's worth all the collateral damage?” I asked, thinking of all the Hood victims I’d heard about on the news.

“I haven't killed anyone, if that's what you're asking.” Diggle replied

“But he has.” I glanced at Oliver again.

“Unfortunately, there are always casualties when you're fighting a war.” Diggle remarked

“I suppose it is a war.” I replied

“It is, Felicity.” Diggle insisted

  
Hours passed. I stayed, working on the outdated computer system. Diggle repeatedly told me I should go home and go to sleep, but I had to stay. I had to know Oliver was okay before I could even imagine sleeping.

Oliver stirred several times before he fully woke up with a groan.

“I guess I didn't die. Again. Cool.” Oliver sat up, scanning the room before his eyes settled on me. He didn't say anything. By the way he looked at Diggle next, I assumed he was waiting until we were alone.

“So how am I going to explain this one?” Oliver winced as he pulled a sweatshirt on.

“Hickey gone wrong?” Diggle suggested

“Hilarious.” Oliver replied  
  
I shook my head, going back to typing, as I had been before Oliver woke up.

“The police collected a sample of your blood at Queen Consolidated. I just hacked the crime lab and ordered the sample destroyed. Oops.” I remarked

I turned towards Oliver, surprised to find he was right behind my chair.

“I did what I could to update your system by the way. But this stuff looks like it's from the eighties, and not the good part of the eighties, like Madonna and, well, legwarmers. It needs a lot of work.” I commented

“Does that mean you're in?” Oliver asked

“You mean in as in I'm going to join your crusade?” I replied

“Well, you're practically an honorary member of the team already.” The grin Oliver flashed reminded me younger Oliver.

“So Mr. Diggle said. But no.” I replied

“Then why'd you upgrade my system?” Oliver asked

“First, because seeing a network that poorly set up hurts me. In my soul.” That was absolute truth. It was painful to see.

“And secondly?” Oliver asked

“I'll do what I can to upgrade everything, and I'm happy to help occasionally with tech support, because I care about you, and I don't want to see you get hurt, but I want to go back to my normal, boring life.” All I wanted to do at that exact moment was hug my daughter and crawl into my bed.

Diggle led Oliver out of sight, and I’m sure he thought they were out of earshot, but noise seemed to carry in the basement.

“Oliver, I know you don't want to hurt this girl and you didn't have any choice in telling her who you really were, but we're asking her to get involved in some pretty dangerous stuff.” Diggle remarked

“We can protect her.” Oliver insisted

“How? Your mother just shot you, Oliver. You can't even keep yourself safe.”

I was still trying to wrap my mind around the fact Moira had shot Oliver. Awful human being, yes, but I wouldn't have imagined her capable of shooting anyone.

“She was scared. She was defending herself.” Oliver sounded defensive.

“Or, she was hiding something.” Diggle suggested

“Diggle, we don't always know why people do what they do. But what I do know is that when I was standing in her office with an arrow aimed at her heart, she begged me to spare her, all on behalf of me and Thea. Now, I've taken down a lot of bad people. None of them brought up their kids, Dig.” Oliver stated

“Oliver, she had the list. Now she may not be in charge of whatever "it" is, but she's definitely involved.” Diggle remarked

“Involved in what? We don't even know what "it" is, and until we do, she is off limits! Am I clear?” Oliver snapped

“But Oliver, are you saying this because you truly believe she's innocent? Or because you don't want to face the fact that your mother might be guilty?”

Oliver didn't respond to that.

“Alright, now that I know you’re not dying, I don't appreciate having a tracker implanted into me like an animal.” I stated as Oliver came back into view.

“I’m not going to apologize for that, Lis. This is dangerous and anybody I care about is in harm’s way. I need to be able to find you if anything happens.” Oliver replied

“How did you even...never mind. It doesn't matter.” I sighed

I stood up, looking down at my now ruined blouse.

“I need to go home and this isn't going to go over well.” I motioned to the blood stains.

Oliver grabbed a shirt from near the cot, tossing it towards me.

“You need to go home too. Your mother and sister have called, by my estimate, about six hundred times.” I remarked

“Motorcycle’s probably not a good idea.” Diggle stated

“I’ll drop you off.” I stated as I turned around, quickly changing my shirt. I was too tired to care that Diggle was seeing me in my bra, and Oliver had seen it before. Once I pulled the too big white V neck over my head, I turned back towards Oliver and Diggle. Diggle was looking away. “It’s fine to look now, Diggle.”

“You need to go home and rest, both of you.” Diggle stated

“No argument from me.” I replied, “Come on, Oliver, let’s get you home.”

  
“Thank you, for everything, Felicity.” Oliver remarked as we pulled up to the Queen estate.

“You don't have to thank me, Oliver,” I reached over and put my hand over his, “I care about you. I’ll always be there. Just, try not to get yourself killed, please.”

“I’ll try.” Oliver leaned over, kissing my cheek, “Drive safe, Felicity. I’ll see you at the club opening.”   
I watched Oliver walk up to the door, visibly exhausted and sore, before backing out of the driveway.

When I arrived home, I glanced at the clock. I would be lucky if I slept for an hour and a half before Lexi woke me up.

“Hey, I was wondering where you were.” Ray remarked as I walked into our bedroom. He clearly still hadn't slept, tablet in his lap, coffee mug on the nightstand.

“Too much wine at Tommy’s. Crashed on his couch.” I lied; it was a very believable story, though. It had happened many times.

“What are you wearing?” Ray asked

“I had to borrow one of his shirts. Spilled wine on myself.” I shrugged before throwing myself on the bed. I made a mental note to ask Tommy to cover for me before I crashed out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the cat is officially out of the bag! 
> 
> And I'm super excited about the next chapter. It's not super shocking or dramatic but there's Thea and Felicity bonding and writing that made me happy.
> 
> I'm posting a super short flashback in the companion series; Tommy finding out about Oliver and Felicity.
> 
> As always, let me know what you think, and feel free to hit me up on atiredfangirl.tumblr.com, or on twitter @WithLove_HW, let me know what you think or just say hi, whatever :) I can always use more fandom peeps in my life :)


	9. Chapter 9

“How many cups of coffee have you had today?” Ray asked as I stood in the kitchen, sipping at another cup.

“I don't know, why?” I asked

“You’re jittery.” Ray replied

I had drank a lot of coffee in the nine hours since I woke up, but it wasn't _just_ the coffee. The reality of the night before had me on edge; Oliver was the Hood. Oliver almost died. I helped saved Oliver’s life.

“I know. I didn't get enough sleep.” I shrugged

“And we still have the club opening to go to.” Ray sighed; Clubs weren't usually his thing, but I had managed to convince him to go with me, to get him out of the house for a few hours.

“I know. I need to start getting ready.” I replied

“My mom will be here to get Lexi in half an hour.” Ray stated, which actually meant she’d be there in fifteen minutes. Grace had a policy of being fifteen minutes early for everything.

“I'll get her ready.” Ray stated before heading upstairs.

When the doorbell rang ten minutes later, I expected to see Grace when I answered the door. I didn't expect Thea Queen, holding two dress bags.

“Thea? What are you doing here?” I asked

“I thought we could get ready together? I bought you a dress. It’s pretty amazing.” Thea replied

“Okay, but why?” I asked

“Honestly? I needed to get out of my mother’s house and you were the first person I thought of.” Thea admitted

“Come on in.” I motioned her inside.

“Hi Thea.” Ray greeted, clearly surprised to see her.

“Hi Ray. Nice to see you again.” Thea smiled

“Thea, let’s go put those dresses upstairs.” I suggested

“Okay.” Thea shrugged

I let Thea go ahead of me, telling her which door to go into.

“I had no idea she was coming. Her family’s going through a lot, I think she just needs a friend.” I shrugged

“It’s fine. Go. Get ready.” Ray replied

I followed Thea up to the extra bedroom, finding her hanging the dresses up on the door.

“Now, I know you’re not quite the goth you used to be, but I still think of black as your color.” Thea remarked

“Okay…” I replied

“You don't have to wear it, but I thought it was gorgeous.” Thea unzipped the dress bag, revealing a short, strapless black dress. It was lower cut then anything I would have picked out, but she was right; it was absolutely gorgeous.

“It’s so pretty.” I remarked

“I thought you would like it.” Thea grinned

I heard the doorbell ring downstairs.

“That's going to be Ray’s mother. She’s keeping Lexi for the night. I’ll be right back.” I remarked

When I came back after saying goodbye to Lexi, Thea was sitting on the bed, staring at her phone.

“Everything okay?” I asked  
  
“I texted Tommy like two hours ago, and he hasn't replied yet. I think he’s mad at me.” Thea sighed

I remembered the conversation I had with Tommy about Thea, it was less than twenty four hours before and yet felt like a lifetime ago.

“I’m sure he’s not.” I replied, sitting down on the opposite side of the bed.

Thea turned so we were facing each other.

“Can we just...girl talk for a minute? Most of my friends are...well, they just want to drink and party, not talk.” Thea stated

“Of course.” I replied

“I messed up. So badly. I was so drunk at my birthday and Tommy and I had been talking all night. About me being mad at my mom, Laurel being mad at him, how Roy and I were on the outs, and then we were dancing. And I totally misread the moment and kissed him. He has barely looked me in the eye since.” Thea groaned, burying her face in her hands, “I’m so humiliated. I mean, I don't even think of Tommy like that, not really. Sure, did I have a little crush on him growing up? Sure. I thought he was cute and he was always an absolute sweetheart to me. But now it’s so awkward.”

“Honestly, Thea, I think if there’s any awkwardness, it's only on your side. Tommy seemed to be ready to laugh it off. And if he hasn't texted you back today, it’s probably because he’s insanely busy getting ready for tonight. You’ll see, it’ll all be fine tonight.” I promised

“I hope so.” Thea mumbled, “And thanks. For listening to me.”

“Anytime, Thea.” I replied

“And I’m sorry about what I said that day at the house about keeping Lexi from us. I know now that was all my mother.” Thea sighed

“No need to apologize to me. It's already forgotten.” I remarked

 

“Well, that is a sight I never expected to see.” Thea commented from the dance floor. We had been dancing together for a few songs, but my eyes followed hers to see what she was referring to; Oliver, Tommy, and Ray, all sitting in a booth, chatting away.

“I feel like I should be concerned right now.” I admitted

“Why? Because the only thing the three of them have in common that they could be discussing is you?” Thea teased

“I need a drink.” I remarked

“Well, that sounds like best thing you’ve said all night.” Thea laughed, grabbing my arm, pulling me through the packed club. Thea ordered our drinks while I watched the three in the booth. Tommy was the first to notice me, smirking as he waved. Oliver and Ray mimicked his wave.

“Do I go over there or do I avoid the potential awkwardness?” I asked

“Well, personally, I’d drink this first.” Thea laughed, handing me a cocktail.

“A solid plan.” I replied, sipping at the drink.

“Why does them hanging out make you so nervous? Aren't all the secrets out by now?” Thea asked

“It doesn't make me nervous. The idea of them disliking each other makes me absolutely terrified. They’re all going to a part of my life, so it’d be great if they all got along.” I sighed

Thea didn't respond, but she suddenly gripped my arm.

“Ouch, Thea. You’re stronger than you look.” I whined

“Look at the entrance.” Thea mumbled

I did as she suggested, spotting Charlotte in a tight black dress. It was the man on her arm that made me realize _why_ Thea had grabbed me.

“You have got to be kidding me.” I sighed

“Of all the rich bastards in this city…” Thea remarked

“I have to get to Ray before she does.” I downed my drink, handing the empty glass to Thea before racing towards the booth.

“Hey, there you are.” Ray greeted me, reaching his arm out to pull me into the booth, but I didn't budge.

“I need you, all three of you, but in particular, you,” I pointed at Ray, “to promise there will be no fights tonight.”

“Why would any of get in a fight tonight, Felicity?” Tommy laughed

“Because Carter Bowmen just waltzed in,” I looked towards Ray, “with Charlotte.”

Tommy and Oliver both tensed at the mention of Carter’s name; he was once considered a part of their ‘group’ in high school, but that had ended a long time ago. Somewhere between him trying to feel me up at a party and the following weeks when he proceeded to lie to the entire school, saying he had slept with me, then tried to spread rumors around the school about Sara and Laurel too.

Ray hadn't ever been particularly fond of Carter either, often crossing paths at events, but even if he had liked Carter, that would have gone out the window as Carter and Charlotte approached the booth, his arm around her waist.

I quickly sat down, blocking Ray from getting out of the booth.

“Ah, Starling Prep’s golden clique. Aren't you missing a member? Shouldn't Laurel be here? She’s dating one of you, right? Which one is it this month?” Carter smirked

“You have a lot of nerve showing up here.” Tommy snapped

“Seriously, Charlotte? Did you pick him just to piss me off?” Ray demanded

“You should get out of here, Bowmen.” Oliver stated, his voice cool. His expression was not.

“Why? We aren't here to cause problems.” Carter replied

“Really? Because I’ve known you most of my life, and you seem to live to cause problems.” Tommy snapped

“I seem to recall it being you two that were the ones that caused trouble in high school. How many times were almost expelled? Was it seven or eight?” Carter asked

“I don't remember, Carter. But I do recall the time we were almost kicked out of school for kicking your ass,” Oliver stood up, motioning for the door, “Unless you want to repeat that situation again, I’d suggest you get out of my club, and take your girlfriend with you, seeing as how she isn't even old enough to be here, and never come back.”

“Alright, I see you still have that temper, Queen. We’ll go.” Carter tightened his grip on Charlotte’s waist, “We’ll see you around.”

We all watched as the duo left, then Oliver waved a waitress down, ordering a round of tequila shots.

“I know why I hate that asshole, but why do you two?” Ray asked

“We were friends, once. But he was always an asshole.” Oliver remarked

“When we first met Felicity, she came to a party at my house. Carter got a little too handsy and tried to get her to go upstairs with her.” Tommy replied

“And I told him to go to hell.” I remarked

“That was when I knew I liked Felicity.” Tommy laughed

“He didn't handle the rejection too well. The next day he had told everybody we had slept together.” I felt the anger come back just thinking about it.

“Didn't stop there, either. He started talking about Laurel and Sara too. He was a piece of work.” Oliver exclaimed

“One day in the cafeteria, he made a comment about me. Something along the lines of ‘I wonder which one she's sleeping with, Oliver or Tommy, probably both’ and...it didn't end well for him.” I laughed

“We broke his nose. Almost got kicked out of school, but my god, it was worth it.” Tommy remarked

“Felicity got her own revenge, of course.” Oliver laughed

“I hacked his computer, putting all his…private photos online. I also made sure his mother saw the things he was writing about women.” I laughed

“It was great.” Tommy laughed

“I can't imagine what Charlotte could see in him.” I remarked

“Dollar signs.” Thea suddenly appeared, “No offense, Ray. But there is virtually nothing appealing about Carter.”

“None taken.” Ray replied

“Tommy, I thought you’d like to know that Laurel just got here.” Thea remarked

Oliver showed no reaction to the news that Laurel had arrived, Tommy was visibly surprised.

“I should probably go talk to her.” Tommy stated before excused himself.

I sighed. I wanted to talk to Laurel, but I wasn't exactly sure what I would say.

The table was silent for a few minutes; I knew Ray was thinking about his sister, and Oliver seemed to be staring at nothing on the table.

“Just go talk to her,” Oliver surprised me when he spoke, “She’s far madder at me than you.”

“I can't imagine she’s my number one fan.” I replied

“No, but she’ll get past it when it comes to you.” Oliver remarked

I sighed, standing up.

I found Laurel and Tommy at the bar, both laughing. Tommy spotted me first.

“I’ll give you two a minute.” Tommy stated

“I hope you can forgive Tommy for keeping it from you. He was just trying to be a good friend to me.” I remarked

“I know. He’ll do anything for his friends. It's one of the things I love about him.” Laurel stated

I didn't quite know what to say; sorry didn't seem like enough, and she was probably tired of hearing it.

“I think part of me knew. Maybe not when it was happening, but when I saw Lexi, I think I knew, I just didn't want to accept it, so I ignored it.” Laurel sighed, “I obviously have known for years that Oliver cheated on me, I don't know why it still stings.”

“I'm sorry.” I replied automatically.

“I know you are. You don't have to keep apologizing.” Laurel stated

“I feel like I do.” I sighed

“You weren't the one who cheated on me. That’s on Oliver.” Laurel remarked, nodding towards Oliver in the booth.  
  
“For what it’s worth, I know he hates that he hurt you. He seems to hate himself for it.” I stated

“I don't really want to talk about it, Felicity. I’m not trying to be rude, it’s just...I’m not in the mood.” Laurel admitted

“I get it.” I replied

I heard Ray’s voice, despite the loud music, and followed the sound to see him arguing on the phone.

“Everything okay?” Laurel asked

“I don't know. I better go find out.” I sighed

By the time I reached Ray, he had already hung up the phone.

“I have to go.” Ray sighed

“What? Why? We haven't even been here an hour. We haven't even gotten to dance yet.” I pouted

“I’m sorry, but I gotta go to the office. You should stay, enjoy the night.” Ray replied

“Are you sure it can't wait until morning?” I asked

“I’m sure. Tell Oliver and Tommy congratulations. I’ll see you at home.” Ray kissed my cheek before disappearing into the crowd.

I waved the bartender down, ordering another drink.

“Did I just see Ray leaving?” My mother appeared at my side.

“Mom? When did you get here?” I hadn't even realized my mother was coming.

“Oh, about ten minutes ago. Laurel and Tommy invited me and Q. Of course he wouldn't come here, but I figured I might as well.” My mother explained

“Yeah, I can't exactly picture Quentin coming here.” I laughed

“Not much of nightclub kind of guy, much less a nightclub owned by quite possibly his two least favorite people.” My mother exclaimed

“I get why he doesn't like Oliver, but he really needs to get over his dislike of Tommy.” I rolled my eyes.

“I keep telling him that. Who knows, Tommy may be his son in law one day.” My mother stated

“Maybe.” I shrugged

“Mrs. Lance, mind if I steal your daughter for a moment?” Oliver flashed a charming smile towards my mother as he approached us.

“Oh, I think you should probably call me Donna.” My mother laughed

“Besides, it's Smoak-Lance.” I stated

“Right, Donna it is.” Oliver turned his attention to me, “Felicity, I could use your help, there’s a problem with the computer in the office.”

I ignored the curious look my mother shot me, nodding to Oliver. I had half expected him to lead me to the underground Arrow cave, but instead we ended up in the club’s office.

“Is there an actual computer problem or was that just your excuse?” I asked

“It was an excuse.” Oliver replied

“Okay,” I sat down on the leather sofa, careful not to let my already short dress ride up, “so why am I actually here?”  
  
“I just thought we should talk about some stuff.” Oliver sighed

“Okay. Like?” I asked

“I know you don't approve of what I’m doing.” Oliver stated as he sat down behind the desk.

“True, but I understand it. I understand that you think this is how you can help the city.” I remarked

“I am helping this city.” Oliver stated

“You are. I don't disagree with it. I disagree with your methods. I don't approve of playing judge, jury, and executor.” I sighed

“The actual courts aren't doing anything to stop these people, Felicity. Somebody has to.” Oliver exclaimed

“Oliver, this doesn't matter. We don't need to get in a moral debate. Regardless of what you do when you suit up and hide behind that black make up, which, by the way, is a terrible disguise, you’re still you, and I’m still going to do what I can to help you.” I sighed

“Diggle thinks it’s safer if I keep you as far away from this as possible.” Oliver stated

“I’m guessing you and Diggle disagree on a lot.” I remarked

“That is true.” Oliver admitted

“We talked last night. About you thinking you’re protecting Lexi by keeping your distance. He agrees with me that you’re not.” I sighed

“It’s not safe for me to be around her.” Oliver stated

“She’s going to be in as much as danger if you aren't as if you are. If people know she’s your daughter, whether you are around or not, they’re still going to know she can be used against you. At least if you’re around, you'll be around to protect her.” I remarked

“You know I’m a killer. How can you still want me around your daughter?” Oliver asked

“She’s your daughter too, Oliver. And because I know you. You’re not a bad person. You’d never hurt her. In fact, I’m pretty sure you’ll do everything in your power to make sure nobody ever does.” I stated

“I don't know, Felicity. She’s happy. She has a father. She has a family. Where am I supposed to fit into that?” Oliver asked

“There’s always room for more family. It might not be a traditional family, but how many families are nowadays?” I asked

The door flung open, an obviously tipsy Thea stumbling in.

“There you two are! Ollie, you’ll need to be out here for toasts in like...fifteen minutes. I think that’s what Tommy said.”

Oliver didn't look too happy about his underage sister being obviously intoxicated, but nodded.

“I know. Go drink some water.” Oliver snapped

“Whatever.” Thea replied, slamming the door shut behind herself.

“She doesn't a disapproving figure in her life, Oliver. She has plenty. She needs her big brother to actually be there and support her.” I sighed, “She’s had a rough five years and she’s doing the best she can.”

Oliver didn't respond. I watched him open one of the desk drawer, digging around for something.

“This is for Lexi.” Oliver held up a small green jewelry box, “I saw that she wears that charm bracelet so here’s a new charm for it.”

I shook my head as he offered it to me.

“Give it to her yourself. We’re taking her to Chuck E Cheese tomorrow afternoon to celebrate her award from school.” I stated

“They give awards out for preschool?” Oliver raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, she’s this terms’ winner for _Best Problem Solver._ They give out homework and report cards too, which I don't remember when I was little, but…whatever.” I laughed

“Could Thea come?” Oliver asked

“She already is.” I replied

Oliver nodded, going to put the box back, suddenly frowning.

“What’s wrong?” I asked

“Nothing.” Oliver slammed the drawer shut.

“I think we’re past the point of lying.” I stated

“This definitely isn't mine,” Oliver held up a gun, “and the only other person who uses this office is Tommy.”

“It’s the Glades, Oliver.” I shrugged, “Self defense is a legitimate excuse around here.”

Oliver didn't respond before there was a knock on the door. Diggle didn't wait for any acknowledgement before barging in.

“There's an emergency.” Diggle stated

“What kind of emergency?” Oliver stood up.

“The kind that requires your other suit.” Diggle remarked

“Oliver, you’re expected to give a toast in ten minutes.” I knew it was useless.

“Tell Tommy I’m sorry, okay?” Oliver didn't wait for a reply, bolting out of the office.

Making a mental note to tell Oliver that I would not cover for him every time something came up, I left the office, locking the door behind myself.

I found Tommy in the club, dancing with Thea.

“Tommy! Don't shoot the messenger here, but Oliver bailed.” I practically had to shout, even though I was right next to him; the music had gotten even louder.

“What? Where the hell did he go?” Tommy asked

“I have no idea,” that wasn't a lie, “he just told me to tell you he was sorry.”

“You should be used to it, Tommy. He’s a flake. Nothing’s changed in five years.” Thea rolled her eyes.

“That's not true.” I regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth, as they caused them both to shoot me doubtful looks, “I mean, before he wouldn't even have told anybody. He’d have just left.”

“She may have a point there.” Thea shrugged

“Guess I’m addressing this crowd alone. Awesome.” Tommy remarked

“Oh, you’ve never been afraid of speeches in front of large crowds.” I laughed, “And while I’d love witness another, I’m not feeling all that well.”

“It’s still early!” Tommy exclaimed

“I know, but I didn't sleep much last night.” I sighed

“I’m actually thinking of calling it a night too. Maybe all the lectures from Ollie are getting to me, but I really just wanna curl up and watch a chick flick right about now.” Thea admitted

“You could come to my house.” _I have got to stop blurting things out without thinking_.

“Really?” Thea asked

“Sure. Ray will probably be at the office until some time tomorrow, and a girls night sounds like fun.”

In all honesty, the thought of Thea alone in the Queen Mansion with Moira concerned me deeply since possibility of her being involved in something shady with Malcolm Merlyn. I would have never expected Moira Queen as somebody capable of hurting her children, but the fact she had shot Oliver made that a little less certain.

“That’d be great.” Thea was suddenly excited.

“Well, you girls have fun.” Tommy hugged both of us quickly.

I linked my arm through Thea’s, letting her lean on me for support.

“Let’s get out of here.” I stated

“Let’s.” Thea agreed

 

Half an hour later, we were on the couch, both newly make up free and covered with fluffy blankets, junk food on the coffee table in front of us.

“Clueless or The Notebook?” Thea suggested

“Clueless. I’m not in the mood to cry like a baby.” I laughed

“I know, I seriously end up crying from ‘It wasn't over’ onward.” Thea groaned, throwing her head back, “I want somebody to love me that much.”

“Every girl’s dream.” I sighed dramatically as Thea turned Clueless on, “What happened with you and that Roy guy?”

“I thought I could change him. Get him out of the life he’s living. I was wrong.” Thea sighed

“I know a bit about that, believe me. You can't change people. You can help them change, but only if they want to.” I stated

“That’s the thing, I think he wants to get out, but doesn't think he can.” Thea stated

“Maybe you just need to show him there’s a way out.” I remarked

“He literally used ‘who is going to hire a drop out with a criminal record’ as an excuse to commit a crime.” Thea groaned

“Tommy would.” I stated

“You think?” Thea asked

“Sure, especially if you vouch for him. I'm sure you could get him a job at the club. Tommy’s not one to hold somebody's past against them.” I remarked

“You’re right, I should ask him about it.” Thea stated, “So where is Ray? I saw him leave the club early.”

“Work,” I rolled my eyes, “I should call him and let him know I made it home safely.”

“Go ahead. I’ll be fine right here with all this junk I food.” Thea laughed

I climbed off the couch, going into the kitchen to make the call.

“Hello?” The ever cheerful voice of Ray’s assistant answered

“Hi Anna, it’s Felicity. Is he busy?” I asked

“Actually, he and Curtis are testing a new product at the moment. Can I have him call you back?” Anna asked

“No, that’s okay. I’ll just talk to him later. Have a good night, Anna.” I hung up and made my way back to the couch.

“You’re way more trusting than me.” Thea laughed, “If a girl was answering my fiancé’s phone at this hour, I would not be happy.”  
  
“It's his assistant. And I trust Ray.” I remarked

“I suppose Ray doesn't exactly seem like the cheating time. He seems like a good guy.” Thea stated

“He is a great guy.” I replied

“Bit of a one eighty from my brother.” Thea laughed

“Suppose so.” I shrugged

“How are you so cool with my brother? Objectively it seems like you should hate him.” Thea was staring at me, waiting for a reaction, “He dragged you along for a year, then still slept with Sara, despite having Laurel and you waiting for him at home. He was an ass of epic proportions.”

“I was angry, for a while.” I admitted, “But I moved past that anger a long time ago.”

“How?” Thea asked

“Lexi was born. I just kind of just looked at her and realized I couldn't be angry. I couldn't be angry at Oliver because he was why I had this little girl that I love more than anything.” I smiled, glancing at the picture of Lexi on the coffee table, “Our relationship was a mess, Oliver may not have been a great guy, but it lead to Lexi, and I can't regret anything that happened. I can't hate him, he gave me Lexi. And now? I think the hell he went through for five years is punishment enough.”

“Why did you put up with his crap for so long?” Thea asked

“I loved him.” I replied

“You never seemed like the type to fall for him. To let him use you. You were always so smart and confident.” Thea remarked

“I was younger then. Hell, maybe it was my daddy issues. I grew up with a warped idea of love.” I sighed, “It took a long time for me to figure out what a healthy relationship is.”

“I’m glad you found someone that makes you happy and who treats Lexi so well.” Thea smiled, “Now if only my brother could get his shit together and find somebody.”

“I don't think your brother is looking.” I laughed

“I’m aware.” Thea replied

“Look, if we’re going to keep talking about your brother, I’m going to have to get wine.” I joked

I was going to have to talk to Oliver about this secret keeping thing; it made discussing him in conversation much more difficult.

“Sorry, I’m sure talking about your ex to his sister isn't something you’re really comfortable with.” Thea stated

“I left that relationship in the past, I try not to rehash it all that often.” I shrugged

“I get it. Let’s watch Paul Rudd being young and dreamy, and forget about boys.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was more of filter chapter, but pretty much from here on it moves much quicker. Hope I'll be able to get the next chapter up in the next few days! 
> 
> As always, let me know what you think, and feel free to hit me up on atiredfangirl.tumblr.com, or on twitter @WithLove_HW, let me know what you think or just say hi, whatever :)


	10. Chapter 10

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Ray asked as we walked down the hallway to Tommy’s apartment.

“Not even a little bit, but it’s Tommy’s birthday.” I replied as I knocked on the door.

Tommy opened the door laughing at something, welcoming us in with a wave.

“Happy birthday, Tommy.” I hugged him quickly, kissing his cheek. Tommy took the blue gift bag I offered to him.

“I told you no gifts.” Tommy stated

“Yeah, that never works when I say it either.” I replied

“Hey guys.” Laurel gave us a tense smile as she emerged from the kitchen with a wine bottle.

“Hi Laurel.” I smiled

The doorbell rang again before any of us could speak again; Ray and I sat down on one of the sofas, Laurel across from us.

“Happy birthday, bro.” I heard Oliver before I saw him.

Awkward silence fell over the room as Laurel looked between Oliver and I.

“Well, this is a far cry from your birthday parties in the past, Tommy.” Oliver joked, breaking the silence.

“We all gotta grow up someday, Ollie.” Tommy laughed

“I thought Thea was coming with you.” Laurel stated

“She decided to go to Roy’s.” Oliver didn't mask his dislike of Roy in his voice.

“He’s not a bad guy, Oliver.” Laurel stated

“Weren't you standing right next to her when he mugged her?” Oliver asked

“I’m not sure you should be one to judge.” Tommy remarked

I resisted the urge to sigh; I had been listening to Oliver complain about Roy, Thea complain about Oliver’s complaining, and Tommy complain about them complaining, for days on a never ending loop.

“Let’s just not talk about Roy.” I stated

“Sounds like a good idea.” Tommy agreed

  
I had feared the evening would be awkward. My fears ended up being entirely justified. Despite everybody's best attempts to be cheery and ignore the elephant in the room, the tension was undeniably there. Laurel did her best to be polite to Oliver, but the snip in her tone was hard to ignore. Oliver fidgeted in his seat every few minutes. I could practically see tension radiating off Tommy, waiting for the inevitable argument to arise.

When I checked my watch, I was surprised to see only half an hour had passed; I was sure it had been at least two hours.

“Well, the food should be here any second now. Felicity, want to help me get the drinks?” Tommy asked

“Sure.” I mumbled as I stood up, following Tommy into the kitchen.

“This was a terrible idea.” Tommy sighed once we were alone in the kitchen.

“It was your idea.” I replied; in fact, I had warned him that putting Oliver, Laurel, Ray, and I in the same room was begging for disaster. _Multiple times._

“Most of my ideas are terrible.” Tommy stated as he picked out a bottle of red wine.

“You wanted your closest friends here for your birthday, Tommy, it’s just unfortunate that your closest friends have such complicated relationships.” I laughed

The doorbell rang, but when Laurel appeared a few seconds later in the entryway, I knew it wasn't the food.

“Who was at the door?” Tommy asked

Laurel didn't have to answer before we got the answer.

“Happy birthday, son.” Malcolm Merlyn stood in front of us, a gift in hand, his ever-present unsettling grin on his face.

“What are you doing here?” Tommy snapped

“Is it so odd that a father would want to see his son on his birthday?” Malcolm replied

“If you were a normal father, I might buy that, but we both know you didn't drop by to wish me a happy birthday.” Tommy stated

I was frozen to my spot; I wanted to leave, but I hesitated to leave the two alone. I had never trusted Malcolm Merlyn, he was a cold and calculating man that I had seen be downright cruel to Tommy many times.

“I know you think I don't care about you, Thomas, but you’re my son and all I’ve ever wanted for you was to be happy.” Malcolm stated

“You sure have a funny way of showing it.” Tommy snapped

“If you’re referring to me cutting you off, I did you a favor. Look at how well you’re doing, Thomas.” Malcolm remarked

“What do you want, dad?” Tommy sighed

I could see the facade fall away, the grin replaced with an angry expression; _the real Malcolm Merlyn has arrived._

“I’m receiving an award tomorrow night and I would like you to attend the ceremony.” Malcolm stated

"Sometimes the people that you want there the most... aren't. You taught me that, multiple times." Tommy picked up the gift Malcolm had sat on the counter, handing it back to him, “Keep whatever expensive watch this is for yourself. I don't want it. Just out of curiosity, what award could you possibly be getting?”

“I'm being honored as humanitarian of the year.” Malcolm stated

I couldn't stop myself from scoffing at that.

“What, did they run out of real humans?” Tommy’s words made me chuckle.

“Look, if it will make this anger go away, I’ll reinstate your trust fund.” Malcolm exclaimed

“You’re unbelievable. Get out of my apartment. Now.” Tommy demanded

I watched Tommy brush past his father, rejoining everyone in the living room.

I don't know what possessed me to follow Malcolm out into the hallway, but he stopped a few feet from the exit of the apartment building.

“Go ahead and speak, Miss Smoak.” Malcolm turned towards me.

“The fact that you think you can throw money back to Tommy and all your problems will go away is the exact reason he is so angry at you.” I fumed, “Because you think so little of him when in reality, he is one of the best people I have ever known. Despite being raised by you.”

“You know, of all of Tommy’s bimbos, you were always my favorite.” Malcolm stated

“I was never one of Tommy’s bimbos and I certainly don't want to be your favorite anything.” I snapped

“Oh, so he had you living across the hall from him for what? For late night conversations?” Malcolm sneered

“He sure as hell didn't have me there for booty calls. I was there because I was his friend. Because he was always alone in that big house since you were never there for him. You abandoned him. He was just a kid and you left. For years. You don't get to swoop in now and expect him to forget all the things you did to him.”

“You have a lot of fire inside you, you stand up for what you believe in. It reminds me of Tommy’s mother.” Malcolm stated

“I’ll take that as a compliment since Rebecca Merlyn was regarded as a wonderful person. Unlike her husband.” I snapped

Tommy appeared at my side, wrapped an arm around my shoulder.

“Felicity, he isn't worth arguing with.” Tommy remarked

“Yeah, you're right.” I replied

We had just turned to head back inside when Malcolm spoke up.

“That little girl of yours, what’s her name? Oh, Alexandra. She’s a cute little girl. Is she a Queen or a Merlyn?” Malcolm asked

I tensed instantly.

“She’s a Smoak. End of story. Goodbye.” Tommy snapped

“Are you okay?” Laurel asked once we were back in the apartment.

“Yeah. My father's an asshole. Not brand new information.” Tommy shrugged, “Well, let’s get this evening back on track.”

“I’ll grab those drinks.” I had barely rounded the corner into the kitchen when Oliver appeared next to me, “If you’re gonna be in here, you're gonna help me carry the drinks.”

“I can do that.” Oliver laughed

“Is there a particular reason you’re in here?” I asked

“I need help with some tech. I was wondering if you could come by Verdant later?” Oliver asked

“I’m not Geek Squad, Oliver. I told you I don't want you to get hurt, but I'm also not going to be an accomplice to putting an arrow in crooks.” I whispered

“It’s for a good reason, can you just come by so I can explain? If you aren't comfortable with it, you can always just say no and leave.” Oliver replied in the same hushed tone.

“Fine.” I sighed

“Thank you.”

  
“Oliver, a few points,” I made my way down the stairs to the Arrow cave, “Firstly, Lexi’s birthday as the passcode is probably not the most secure thing on the planet. Secondly, this better be important because I just had to lie my ass off to Ray and I don't like it.”

“I’m sorry, but it is important. This phone is encrypted and the information on it could save a life.” Oliver stated

“Who’s phone is it?” I asked

“He was a hit man.” Oliver replied

“Was? So, you killed him.” I sighed

“It was him or me, Felicity. It’s not exactly my first choice.” Oliver stated

“So you need me to hack into his phone for what?” I asked

“Whoever he was hired to take out is still in danger. Whoever hired him will just get somebody else.” Oliver answered

“Fine.” I grabbed the phone from him, heading over to the computers, “Where’s Diggle?”

“Trying to track down another lead on who hired this hit man.” Oliver replied

“Well, this could take a while, so you might as well do whatever you’d be doing if I wasn't here.” I stated

Oliver went about his evening, hitting a punching bag for a while. I forced myself to focus on the computer screen, not his shirtless form.

“Lyla didn't know anything.” Diggle announced when he arrived; I didn't ask who Lyla was, despite my curiosity.

“I'm going to hit the streets. Stay here with Felicity.” Oliver went to suit up.

“I’m right here, you don't have to talk about me like I’m not in the room.” I rolled my eyes.

Oliver left after a few minutes and I could feel Diggle's eyes on me.

“Is something wrong?” I asked, leaning back in the chair; the computer software was running and there wasn't anything to do but wait now.

“No, I’m just worried. It’s dangerous for Oliver to drag you into this.” Diggle stated

“I’m only doing this to help save whoever this guy was hired to kill. I’m not joining the team.” I remarked

“Right. Still, any association with this isn't safe.”

I knew he was right; this wasn't safe. I wasn't like Oliver or Diggle, I didn't know how to fight, to protect myself.

“Have you ever boxed?” Diggle asked as he hit the punching bag.

“Ray’s tried to teach me but I’m doing good if I remember how to hold my wrist.” I laughed

“Come here. Let’s see if I can teach you how to throw a proper punch.” Diggle suggested

“Alright.” I shrugged

  
“If this whole vigilante thing doesn't work out, you could probably be a pretty successful personal trainer.” I laughed as I caught the water bottle Diggle tossed me.

“Yeah, I don't think I have the patience for that.” Diggle laughed

“Glad to see you two are having a good time.” Oliver’s voice sounded pained as he walked into the cave.

“Are you okay?” I asked

“I’ll survive.” Oliver grabbed an ice pack, holding it to his ribs, “What are you two doing?”

“I thought it would be best to teach Felicity how to hold her own.” Diggle stated

“Ideally, she’ll never need to.” Oliver replied

“Ideal isn't exactly likely.” I remarked

“Fair enough.” Oliver sighed, “Did you find anything?”

“Program’s still running. It should be done soon.” As if on a cue, the computer pinged. “I should have access now.”

I sat back down at the computer and started looking through the messages from the phone.

“Oh no.” I sighed as the photo attached to one of the messages loaded.

“What is it?” Oliver asked  
  
“The hitman’s target, it’s Malcolm Merlyn.” I replied

Was I surprised? No. Malcolm Merlyn had made a lot of enemies, personally and professionally, so the fact that one of them would want him dead was hardly shocking.

“Any clues as to who hired him?” Oliver asked

“Are we just going to ignore that somebody wants your best friend’s father dead?” Diggle asked

“Everybody wants Malcolm dead. He’s the devil in human form.” I exclaimed

“Still, we can't let whoever hired this guy find somebody else to finish the job. He’s awful but he’s still Tommy’s father.” Oliver stated

“I don't think whoever did this would be stupid enough to let it trace back to them. I can see here that the money was wired from an offshore account and I’m willing to bet that will just lead me to one dummy account after another that could take days to trace back to an actual person.” I sighed

I kept scrolling through the messages and files looking for more information while Oliver hovered next to me, much to my irritation.

“If I find something, I’ll let you know.” I snapped after a few minutes.

“Fine.” Oliver left me alone, going to spar with Diggle.

Going through the hitman’s phone, I learned a few things; this guy had killed a lot of people, he was alarmingly good at leaving no traces, and I had absolutely no problem with Oliver taking somebody like him out. The last part scared me a bit.

**MM2213**. The file name with Malcolm’s initials and the next day’s date caught my attention.

“Oliver! I think I have something.” I announced after opening the plans, seeing a layout for the venue Malcolm would be receiving his humanitarian award at.

Oliver and Diggle were at my side within seconds.

“What’s that?” Oliver asked

“My best guess? His plan of attack. You’d probably be able to make more sense of it than me. Now, I know if somebody else is hired, they might not follow the exact plan, but the gala is the perfect opportunity so we have to assume that they’re going to have a similar plan.” I rambled

“That building has about a hundred vantage points, Oliver. It’s the perfect place for a sniper.” Diggle remarked

“You’re right, we have to assume they’re going to strike tomorrow night.” Oliver stated

“We can't cover every vantage point though. We might need backup on this.” Diggle exclaimed

“The last time I called Lance in for back up, he tried to shoot me.” Oliver sighed

“Now, hold up. Lance? He knows?” I asked

“No, I used a phone designed to scramble my voice.” Oliver replied

“Maybe I can convince Lance to call a truce for the night.” I suggested

“Felicity, if he finds out you’re working with the Arrow, it’s going to take him about one second to know it’s me.” Oliver remarked

“You just said you guys can't cover the whole venue by yourselves. We have to do something. You realize your mother will be there, right? This isn't just about Malcolm.” I sighed

“We’ll figure something out, Felicity. We always do.” Diggle promised

“Well, I guess that I'm not going to be any help in the planning, so I might as well call it a night.” I rose from the computer chair, “Please keep me updated. I guess we should just be thankful Tommy won't be attending.”

  
“Felicity.” I faltered in my step as I heard Oliver’s voice. His very, very angry voice.

“Oliver.” I plastered a smile on my face.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Oliver leaned into whisper in my ear, masking it as a hug.

I sighed; I knew he wasn't going to be pleased but when Tommy informed me that he was going to be attending the gala honoring his father because Thea had begged him to tag along, the only thing I could think to do was to use Ray’s invitation and try to keep Tommy and Thea as far away from Malcolm as I could, keeping them out of the line of fire.

“I’m trying to keep your sister and best friend away from the man with a target on his back.” I whispered

“It’s not safe, you shouldn't be here.” Oliver snapped

“We’re going to stay away from Malcolm. You do whatever it is you do, I’ll keep Tommy busy.” I stated

“Fine. Be careful, please.” Oliver sighed

“I will be.” I promised

Oliver disappeared into the crowd, I made my way back to the table where Thea and Tommy were sitting, whispering to each other.

“Hey, where’d you disappear to? Thought you were just grabbing a drink.” Thea remarked

“Bumped into a friend, got caught chatting.” I shrugged as I sat down.

“When is this damn ceremony going to start? I’m already over it.” Tommy sighed

“Why are we even here? Let’s bail. We can go catch a movie or go hang out at my place.” I suggested

“My mom’s still pissed at me for bailing at a gala last week. I gotta stay until the speech is over, at least.” Thea stated

“Seriously though, how the hell did they decide my father was a good choice for this award? He’s never done shit for this city.” Tommy picked up his wine glass, finishing off the contents.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.” The host of the event spoke from the stage, drawing everyone’s attention, “Now tonight's honoree needs very little introduction. It's neither his wealth nor his name that we celebrate here tonight. But it is his efforts in making Starling City a better and safer place to live. So please help me welcome Starling City's humanitarian of the year, Mr. Malcolm Merlyn."

Tommy scoffed and picked Thea’s wine glass up as Malcolm took the stage.

"The true humanitarian in the Merlyn family was my wife Rebecca. Many of you here knew her. She tirelessly devoted herself to helping those less fortunate in the Glades.”

I glanced towards Tommy, but his face was unreadable.

“I like to think that if the men who murdered her knew her; knew the work that she did, knew the person that she was, he would have helped her to her car, made sure she was safe, instead of stealing her purse and shooting her. The truth is, I haven't done enough for this city. My city. I failed it. But I promise you, I am not finished yet. I promise you that this city will be better for all of us. And on that day, I will look at this beautiful award and feel that I have earned it. I thank you."

“Funny how he never brings up my mother unless it’s to gather sympathy or to excuse his behavior.” Tommy grumbled

“Are you okay?” I asked

Before he could answer, an alarm started blaring, then chaos ensued. Everybody was running for the exit; Moira grabbed Thea, practically pulling her to the door.

“Tommy,” I grabbed his arm, “We gotta get out of here.”

“My father, I have to get to my father.” Tommy insisted, freeing himself of my grip.

“He has bodyguards, I’m sure he’s fine!” I chased after him, but lost him in the crowd.

“Tommy!” I shouted  
  
“Felicity!” Malcolm Merlyn grabbed my arm, yanking me forward.

“Malcolm, Tommy’s still here.” I protested

“I know that.” Malcolm sounded incredibly calm, despite the madness around us. He pulled me along until we found Tommy, "Come with me. There's an exit on the second floor. I wasn't leaving until I knew you were safe."

“Malcolm, I really think we should just go with everybody else.” I stated as we followed Malcolm up the staircase, my grip on Tommy’s hand never letting up.

“Dad, where the hell are we going?” Tommy asked

Suddenly a shot rang out; Malcolm spun around towards the sound.

"I'll hold them off. Get to the elevator. Go now.” Malcolm shouted

Tommy and I rushed to the elevator, it wasn’t until I was slamming the button repeatedly that I looked back to see Malcolm fighting a man dressed in the uniform the waiters had been wearing, a second shot rang out and the other man collapsed to the ground.

"Where are we going?" Tommy asked once we were in the elevator.

"Up." Malcolm’s response wasn’t particularly helpful.

“Tommy, are you okay?” I asked

“I’m fine.” Tommy squeezed my hand for reassurance, “Dad, who are those guys?"

"I don't know." _Helpful_.

"They're trying to kill you!" Tommy exclaimed

"Seems that way." Malcolm was incredibly nonchalant, checking his watch.

"And we're going up, without any of your bodyguards? Dad! We need to get out of here." Tommy was nearly frantic.

"Tommy, take a deep breath and trust me.” Malcolm grabbed Tommy’s shoulder, “Upstairs in my office is a panic room. We get there, we seal it off."

“How are you so calm?” I asked; my heart was beating out of my chest and my hands were shaking.

“Panic doesn’t solve anything, Miss Smoak.” Malcolm stated

When the elevator doors opened, another man was waiting for us, gun at the ready. In one movement, Malcolm managed to disarm him and had his arms around the man’s neck, snapping his neck.

"You killed him!" Tommy’s voice was pure shock, am emotion I shared but I tried to keep it off my face.

"Surely as he would have killed you." Malcolm replied, pushing us into the office. Malcolm closed the door behind us, immediately typing into a keypad.

"Electromagnetic locks." Malcolm explained

"What if they cut the power?" I asked

"This floor is on an entire separate grid.” Malcolm replied

"The glass?" Tommy asked

"Lexan. Bulletproof. It's over."

I sighed with relief, pulling my phone out of my clutch with shaking hands.

_Where are you? We’re in Malcolm’s office_! I sent the text to Oliver, worried what could have kept him from protecting Malcolm and more importantly, Tommy.

"How did you know how to do that?" Tommy asked

"What?" Malcolm was checking something on the wall, not paying much attention to Tommy.

"Fight. Kill." Tommy sounded horrified.

The sound of the glass shattering was piercing. I grabbed Tommy, pulling him down to the ground with me.

"Tommy!" My heart was racing again as my eyes scanned over Tommy. _He’s okay, he’s not hurt._ I took a deep breath.

"Dad!" Tommy scrambled over to his father on the floor.

"Tommy, you okay?" Malcolm asked, his voice made it obvious he was hurt.

"I'm fine. Dad, you're shot." I rushed over to Tommy’s side. _Taking care of two gunshot wounds in two weeks, this is getting too common._

"I'm okay." Malcolm pulled his vest open, revealing a bulletproof vest. He tried to lean forward but fell back with a gasp.

“Something’s wrong.” He wasn’t bleeding much, the vest had taken the worst of it, but something was off. Oliver had lost a lot more blood before he passed out, but Malcolm was out cold.

The sound of his steps didn’t alarm me, I had already figured out the sound Oliver’s boots made on the floor, it was fairly distinctive. Tommy grabbed Malcolm’s gun, pointing it at the man in the hood.

“Tommy, stop.” I whispered

"Stay back!" Tommy demanded

"I'm not here to hurt you or your father." His voice was disguised.

"I said stay back." Tommy shouted

"Curare." Oliver stated

"Don't come any closer." Tommy warned, his finger on the trigger.

"Your father's been poisoned. An assassin named Floyd Lawton laces his bullets with curare. I've dealt with this before. We need to dilute the poison in his bloodstream." Oliver explained

I knew what he meant, which made me a little nauseous.

"I said stay the hell back!" Tommy shouted

“Tommy, put the gun down.” I glanced back and forth between Tommy and the closest thing he had to a brother; if I had to out Oliver as The Hood to his best friend to keep him from getting shot, I wouldn’t hesitate.

"In three minutes he's paralyzed. In four minutes, he suffocates. If you don't let me help you now, he's dead before anybody gets here!" Oliver insisted

"Help. How?" Tommy asked

"Fresh blood buys him time to get to the hospital." Oliver replied

"A blood transfusion? That's insane!" Tommy remarked

“It makes sense.” I stated

"It's the only way. He needs your blood. You're out of time. You need to make a decision right now." I hadn’t noticed the first aid kit in Oliver’s hand until he held it up.

"Why should I trust you?" Tommy asked

Oliver hesitated, looking towards me. I nodded slightly, silently urging him to tell Tommy.

"Because you always have." Oliver pulled the hood back.

Tommy looked like he was going to faint.

"Oliver?" Was it shock or horror in his tone? I couldn’t tell.

"Okay. Fine.” Tommy rolled up his sleeve.

I had to look away; I might be able to handle the sight of blood without fainting, but it still made me lightheaded.

"Ready?" Oliver asked

"Do it." Tommy replied

"Hold his arm." Oliver instructed

"You're the Vigilante. Why?" Tommy asked

"Later.” I knew that was a story Oliver wasn’t likely to tell, not the full story, anyways. "He's still going to need medical attention to fully clean out his system, you understand?"

"Yes. Thank you." Tommy sounded so tired.

"Tommy?" Malcolm groaned  
  
"I'm right here, dad." Tommy stated

"Get out of here, the cops will be here any second." I remarked; Oliver disappeared moments before the police barged in.

  
_How did I get here?_ I looked around me at the chaos around me; there were cops everywhere, the paramedics were loading Malcolm into the back of the ambulance, the news vans had already arrived and were setting up their equipment. I had been rushed downstairs and outside by a cop, but it happened so fast I couldn’t even remember leaving the office.

"What did the Hood say to you?" Quentin was asking Tommy.

"He didn't say anything." Tommy replied

"You let a homicidal maniac talk you into a homemade blood transfusion instead of calling the paramedics?" Quentin’s voice was disbelieving.

"My father's life was at stake." Tommy stated

"So first the Hood rescues you and Queen from those kidnappers, now he saves your old man. But he's taking down every other one percenter out there. Is this guy a friend of yours, Merlyn?"

It didn’t surprise me that my step father cared more about The Hood than the fact that Malcolm Merlyn was just shot at.

"I don't know who the hell he is." Tommy snapped; he locked eyes with me, his expression angry.  
  
"What did you see, Felicity?" Quentin asked me.

"He had the hood up. I didn't see anything." I lied

"Are you okay?" There was the step father side of Quentin.

"Other than feeling a bit sick to my stomach because I saw my best friend's father get shot right in front of me, I'm fine. I have to go, I should be with Tommy." I left Quentin to join Tommy in the back of the ambulance.

“Are you okay?” I asked

“I’m fine. We have a few things to discuss, however.” Tommy snapped

“Later.” I sighed, leaning my head against his shoulder.

The ambulance ride to the hospital was less than five minutes, and before I knew it, I was sitting in the hospital waiting room, staring at the tacky artwork on the walls.

My phone rang, I glanced at the screen to see Thea’s smiling face, a picture I had taken during one of her now frequent afternoons at the house.

“Hi Thea.” I answered

“Oh thank god! I was so worried! I never saw you come out! Are you and Tommy okay?” Thea asked

“Breathe between sentences, sweetie. But yes, we’re fine. Malcolm was shot, but it looks like he’ll be fine.” I stated

“Are you at the hospital? Should I come? Does Tommy need moral support?” Thea asked

“I’m at the hospital, it’s pretty crazy down here, so I don’t know if I’d come if I was you. I’m going to stay with Tommy.” I replied

“Okay. Call me if he needs anything. I’m glad you’re okay.” Thea hung up, and I went back to staring at the wall.

“Felicity.” Tommy’s voice snapped me out of my trance.

“How’s your father?” I asked

“He’ll survive.” Tommy sunk down into the seat next to me.

“I know you’re mad.” I sighed

“How long have you known?” Tommy asked

“A few weeks. I had my suspicions before, but…officially a few weeks.” I replied

“How can you be okay with it?” Tommy asked

“I wouldn’t go so far as to say I’m okay with it. I don’t necessarily approve.” I sighed

“You seem fairly okay with it to me.” Tommy snapped

“I’m not going to turn him in, no, but I’m also not joining his crusade either.” I stated

“He wanted you to?” Tommy asked

“Yeah, he wanted tech support.” I shrugged

“He wanted you to join his team and he didn’t even trust me to know. I’m supposed to be his best friend.” Tommy sighed

“I don’t think it was a matter of trust, Tommy. It was safer for you to never know.” I leaned against his shoulder.

“Felicity! There you are!” Ray sounded frantic, “I saw on the news there was a shooting and then you didn’t answer your phone. When Thea said it was Malcolm that shot, I assumed you’d be here with Tommy.”

“I’m sorry, it all happened so fast. I should have called.” I stood up to hug Ray, “Where’s Lexi?”

“She’s with Lottie.” Ray turned towards Tommy, “How’s your father doing?”

“He’ll be alright.” Tommy answered

“Do the police have any idea who did this?” Ray asked

“They seem a little to preoccupied with The Hood to care.” I rolled my eyes.

“Well, I’m sure they’re doing everything they can. If there’s anything you need, Tommy, please let us know.” Ray stated

“I appreciate that, Ray. You two should head home. It’s been a long night.” Tommy sighed

“It has.” I agreed

I hugged Tommy tightly.

“I’m glad you’re okay, Tommy.” I whispered

“Love you, Lis.” Tommy kissed my cheek.

I practically leaned on Ray all the way to the elevator and to the car.

“Are you okay, Felicity?” Ray asked after we were in the car, lacing his fingers through mine with the hand that wasn’t on the steering wheel.

“I’m okay. A little shaken up, but fine.” I was actually surprised at how okay I felt. It should have freaked me out, but I wasn’t having a meltdown. _I guess worrying around the clock about Oliver’s safety is making me stronger._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this took longer than expected to update. School is kicking my ass. The good news, though, is that the next chapter is basically done. Just gotta do some editing, so it should be up during the weekend!
> 
> As always, let me know what you think, and feel free to hit me up on atiredfangirl.tumblr.com, or on twitter @WithLove_HW, let me know what you think or just say hi, whatever :)


	11. Chapter 11

I groaned, slamming my laptop shut with more force that necessary after hitting yet another dead-end in my search to find out who had tried to kill Malcolm Merlyn. It had been weeks of trying to track the money to figure out who hired the assassin and, when that failed, the Triad. I hadn't found a thing.

“Everything okay?” My mother looked up from her spot on my couch.

“Yeah, it’s fine. Just a coding thing I can’t figure out.” I lied

“Well, I’m sure you will.” My mother returned her attention to the TV.

I tried to call Tommy, for probably the thousandth time in the past couple of weeks, only to have it ring twice then go to voicemail. As it had every time.

“Tommy, it’s me again, please call me back.” I sighed as I hung up. Tommy was ignoring me, Oliver wasn’t too pleased with me for putting myself in danger. He had _tried_ to order me to stay away from all of it, to just drop my research into who wanted Malcolm Merlyn dead. I hadn’t listened.

My phone beeped with an emergency alert at the same time as my mother’s phone and the TV.

“What on earth?” I stood up, glancing at the TV, seeing a man tied up in a dark space. I grabbed my laptop quickly, ready to try to trace the location of the stream.

“If you make the Glades your home, you know who this man is,” A man spoke from off camera, “John Nickel. He owns your tenements. Manages your slums. Provides the leaking roofs over your head. The mold in your pipes and asbestos in your walls.” I was typing as quickly I could, attempting to back trace the location, “Basically, he makes money off our suffering. But the police aren't interested in helping us. They may have let us down, but I won't. John, I want to give you the chance to state your case. Why shouldn't you be punished?”

The website broadcasting the signal had some serious encryption; I had hacked government sites with less security.

“I knew there was bad stuff in my buildings. Okay, yes, I made a little profit! At least they had a place to live. Without me, people like that would end up on the street.”

_Not what he wants to hear._

“People like that. That's all we are to guys like this.” A gun came into view, “I find you...Guilty.” My mother gasped as the gunshot rang out, and I halted my typing, “There are plenty more people who need to answer for their crimes against us. So...who’s next?”

_Who’s next?_ The question was what prompted me to throw some clothes on and rush out the door, asking my mother to pick Lexi up after school, not pausing for any questions.

“I take it you saw the broadcast.” Oliver stated as I rushed down the staircase into the Arrow cave.

“This guy's definitely got more than a subscription to **Wired**. His website's protected by some very serious encryption.” I remarked

“Spoke to my friend at the NSA. The website code matches a cyber crusader who's been on their radar. He hacks into fringe sites under the username The Savior. NSA believes he's a former resident of the Glades." Diggle stepped into view, phone still in hand.

“Former?” Oliver asked

“Yeah, well, a year ago, he hacked himself right off the radar. He erased all traces of his existence.” Diggle stated

“So what happened a year ago?” Oliver asked

“I’m on it.” I powered up the computers, ready to work.

  
“We're back.” I looked up from my computer screen to the TV at the sound of the voice, “I have with me assistant district attorney Gavin Carnahan. Now, DAs are supposed to go after bad guys. But this one can't even be bothered to bring them to trial. Like the ones who killed my wife in a bodega.”

“Felicity...” The _hurry_ was left unspoken, but I knew that was what Oliver meant.

“I'm on it.” I tried to tune out the voice and focus on my task, but that proved impossible.

“They said there wasn't enough evidence. You think the evidence would have turned up if she'd been killed in one of Starling City's nicer neighborhoods?”

“Emma Falk. Grieving husband is Joseph Falk.” I kept digging.

“What do we have on him?” Oliver asked

“Not much. 42, former city worker. Department of transportation, computer technician, left his job when she was killed. One year ago today. No current phone, no current address.” Diggle’s NSA friend was right, he had gone completely off the grid.

“Gavin, you're a lawyer. You're used to making a case. So go ahead. I'm going to give you ten minutes to deliver the closing argument of your life.”

_Ten minutes, Felicity. You better work._

“I'm trying to get a lock on his wireless signal.” I explained

“10 minutes to convince me not to blow you away.” _Ten minutes._

“Can you mute that? It’s just stressing me out!” I snapped

_Nine minutes._

_Eight minutes._

_Seven minutes._

“I got him!” I shouted

“Shut it down.” Oliver pulled his tan jacket on.

“Can't. He has a firewall protecting his wireless signal. But he's working off an IPX located at 23rd and Mira.” I stated

“You want to hood up?” Diggle asked

“It’s the middle of the day!” Oliver grabbed his motorcycle helmet before racing out of the lair.

“Look! Listen. Listen to me. Okay. I have 53 cases on my desk right now. I don't always have time to take on every case!” The DA wasn’t very convincing.

“How's Carnahan?” Oliver asked over the intercom.

“Not making a very persuasive argument.” I sighed

“I'm almost there.” Oliver exclaimed

“See anything?” I asked a minute later.

“I'm only on the first floor.” Oliver stated

“Just six more to go.” That probably wasn’t helpful, I knew.

“There aren't resources. I tried. Oh, my God! I'm sorry!”

For a lawyer, he wasn’t very good at making his case.

“Oliver, hurry.”

The man wasn’t helping himself.

“I can’t find him! He's not here, Felicity!” Oliver snapped

“What?” I was never wrong.

“I searched every office on every floor! He's not here. Is this the right place? Are you sure?” Oliver asked

“Yeah, I…” I refreshed my trace on the signal, “Oh, crap. What? How is this possible? This can't happen! He's...”

“Talk to me!” Oliver snapped

“Wait. He moved. Just north of you. Ocean and Grand.” I couldn’t understand how it happened, but he had somehow managed to move.

“I took on cases that were--that I thought that I could...”

_That you thought you could win to keep your averages up._

“I'm sorry.”

“Oliver, he’s going to kill him.” I couldn’t look away, but I knew what was going to happen, and I didn’t want to see it.

“Gavin Carnahan, I find you guilty of crimes against the Glades. And I sentence you to death.”

“I'm at Ocean and Grand, Felicity. That's just a vacant lot.” Oliver snapped

“How is this possible? This can't happen. He..”

The gunshot rang out and I pushed away from the desk.

“Find the right address, now!” Oliver snapped

“He's...” _dead because of me._ I yanked the earpiece out, throwing it down on the desk as I walked away. I leaned against the wall, arms wrapped around my sides, taking deep breaths.

“Oliver, it's over, Carnahan is dead.” Diggle stated before disconnecting the intercom.

“Felicity…” Diggle stepped towards me, but I put my hand up.

“I need a minute.” I snapped

“There was nothing more you could have done, Felicity.” Diggle stated

“Please, just leave me alone!” I snapped

“Alright, I’ll be upstairs if you need me.” Diggle left me alone.

I slid down the wall until I was sitting on the ground, knees to my chest as I fought off a panic attack. I was still on the ground when Oliver walked in.

“Where's Diggle?” Oliver asked

“I asked him to leave me alone. In my loud voice.” That was what Lexi called it when I got mad.

“This wasn't your fault.” Oliver bent down to be at my level.

“I was the one who was supposed to find Carnahan, and I was the one who sent you that bogus location. I've never seen anybody die.” I stated

“Hey. This is the thing with this. Sometimes we lose.” Oliver grabbed my hand, pulling me up.

“How do you do this? How do you do this alone? I...how am I supposed to go home lie about today? Smile and say ‘my day was great, how about yours?’ when I saw a man die because I couldn’t do the one thing I’m supposed to be good at?” No crying, Felicity.

Diggle and Tommy rushed down the stairs together.

“We have a problem.” Diggle stated

“Add it to the list.” I sighed

“Thea’s boyfriend. Somebody took him. Thea’s upstairs, she’s freaking out. She saw the whole thing.” Tommy remarked

“Tommy, stay with Thea. I’m going to check out where he was grabbed. Felicity? You okay to keep working?” Oliver asked

“Yeah, I’m fine.” I realized Oliver’s hand was still in mine and dropped it.

  
Oliver was still gone when the feed came back on, this time with Roy Harper chained up.

“Meet Roy Harper. Arrests for larceny and robbery, aggravated assault. And yet you're out on the street. Another gangbanger in the Glades running free, like the ones who killed my wife. I grew up in the Glades, too. And it didn't turn me into a criminal.”

I closed my eyes, taking a few deep breaths to calm my nerves. _Roy doesn’t deserve to die_.

“Anything?” Oliver asked as he arrived again.

“I've been going through all the video we got, trying to see if there's anything that'll tell us where this guy is. I got nothing, except a sound. Buried in the ambient noise. Almost rhythmic. Here, I've isolated it.”

I played the sound on repeat.

“What is that?” Oliver sounded frustrated, but so was I.

“Sounds like a car driving over lane markers.” I sighed

“Bigger than a car.” Diggle stated

“What, a bus?” I suggested

“Uh...wait, I know this. I know it.” Diggle groaned

“Come on! Guys!” Oliver sighed, “Thea...can’t lose anybody else.”

“That doesn’t help!” I snapped

“Felicity, show me a map.” Diggle exclaimed

“Sites of the abductions and where we've seen the signal so far. Right there, right there, 23rd and Mira. Locksley and Adams. Wells street down by CNRI.” I pointed at the screen.

“Those are all subway stops!” Diggle remarked

“Starling City doesn't have a subway.” Oliver replied

“No, but they used to. When I was a kid, my dad used to take me down to the Rockets game. By subway. For 14 minutes, I'd lean against the window, feeling the rhythm of the train moving.” Diggle explained

“That's how he did it. He was at 23rd and Mira, but he was underground. He used to work for the department of transportation, so that's why he knows all the old subway stops. That's why I couldn't trace the signal. He was moving. He was in a subway car.” I started typing again.

“Where is he now?” Oliver asked

“He's on the old cross town line. If he continues on this route, he'll be at the Spring Street stop in 15 minutes.” I stated

“It's happening.“ Diggle turned the volume back up as Oliver took off again.

“I'll give you 10 minutes to state your case, Roy. So tell us. Why do you get to live?”

“I shouldn't. Just do it. Kill me.”

_What the hell is he doing?_

“You really don't care if you live or die?” Even the psychopath was surprised.

“No one's going to miss me. I'm just a waste.”

“What is he talking about? Thea would miss him. Damn it, Roy.” I sighed

“Then we agree on something. This world would be better off without you in it.”

I stood up again.

“I have...I have to go. I can’t watch anybody else die today.”

I hadn’t even reached the stairs when I heard the crash, and I looked back to see the screen go blank. I raced back over to the desk, grabbing the ear piece.

“Oliver! Was that you? Did you find them? Is Roy okay?” I knew I sounded frantic, but I didn’t really care. It was few minutes before Oliver came back on the line.

“Roy’s okay. It’s over. I’m heading back.”

I let out a sigh of relief.

“How do you handle the stress? I feel like I’ve cut a year off my life just from stress today.” I remarked

I leaned back in the chair, feeling the tension leave my shoulders.

“Honestly, I have no idea. I take it one day at a time.” Diggle stood up, “I’m going to go upstairs.”

I watched the security cameras upstairs; Tommy took off as soon as Roy arrived. Oliver watched from a distance as Thea ran towards Roy.

“I see Thea and Roy have been reunited.” I smiled as Oliver came down the stairs.

“I saw.” Oliver stated

“You probably saw that they were very happy to see each other, if you know what I mean. Which you probably don't want to talk about, because she's your baby sister.” I laughed

“You okay?” Oliver asked

“I'm getting there.” I sighed, “Thank you.”

“By the way, if you ever need to tell someone about your day...You can tell me.” Oliver patted my shoulder.

“Thank you, Oliver.” I smiled  
  
There was a moment of silence before Oliver pointed at my computer screen.

“What's that?” Oliver asked

“Felicity pulled it up.” Diggle explained, “It's an old map of a decommissioned subway line. Runs underneath the low rent district of the city.”

“I've seen that map before.” Oliver held up his book of names, comparing the symbol on the front with the map. Sure enough, the lines matched perfectly. I was left with a sinking feeling as I remembered seeing the symbol before.

“It was right in front of our faces the entire time. My father, the other archer, the undertaking, whatever the plan is. It's all connected to the Glades.” Oliver remarked

“We have to find out what it is.” Diggle exclaimed

“Malcolm Merlyn might be a good place to start.” I sighed

“Why?” Oliver asked

“Because I’ve seen that map before too. When I was a teenager, living at the Merlyn mansion. He had a file on his desk one day with it on it. I only remember because when he noticed I had walked in the room, he immediately buried it under more papers and yelled at me about his office being strictly off limits.” I explained

“What the hell could Merlyn want with the Glades?” Diggle pondered

“Absolutely nothing good.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in a week!! I'm proud of myself. Haha. But I really have been feeling pretty inspired to write lately. Hopefully I'll get the next chapter up early next week. 
> 
> Anyways. Who's hyped for the new season?! It's so close now!
> 
> As always, let me know what you think, and feel free to hit me up on atiredfangirl.tumblr.com, or on twitter @WithLove_HW, let me know what you think or just say hi, whatever :)


	12. Chapter 12

“Felicity, what are you doing?” Tommy sighed as he sat down across from me at my makeshift office I had set up in the basement; as far as Ray was concerned, I was working on a freelance coding project. As far as Tommy knew, I was helping Oliver in his crusade. In reality, I was spending every free second trying to find out more about The Undertaking and what Malcolm Merlyn was up to.

“What are you talking about?” I asked

“You’re doing all this for Oliver.” Tommy sighed

“No, I’m really not. I’m doing this for the city.” I remarked

“You two spend every hour that Ray is at work with him, then you come home, and work from home for him. You spend more time with him than Ray.” Tommy stated

“Tommy, I really don’t have time for this discussion.” I sighed

“How many lunches have you and Oliver had together in the last month? How many times have you gone to spend time at Oliver’s house?” Tommy asked

“You’re leaving out the major detail that Lexi is with me whenever I hang out with Oliver that isn’t related to his night time job.” I remarked

“This isn’t going to go well, Lis. And I really don’t want to see you get hurt again. Because he is still Oliver and he’s still using you.” Tommy stated

“For my brain, maybe.” I sighed, “Tommy, I know you mean well. But me and Oliver spending time together has nothing to do with any type of romance. I’m helping protect our city, and he wants to get to know Lexi, which, by the way, you have wanted since the day we found out he was alive.”

“Lis, I want nothing more than for Oliver and Lexi to know each other. But I...I just think that Oliver still thinks there’s a chance for you two.” Tommy responded

“Don't be ridiculous, Tommy,” I stood up from the table, heading for the mini fridge to grab a couple of sodas, “Oliver knows that I’m marrying Ray in a matter of weeks. I just received his RSVP yesterday. Speaking of which, any idea who he’s bringing as his plus one? He hasn't mentioned anyone since him and Helena blew up.”

“Just because he knows it doesn't mean he’s happy about it. And no, I have absolutely no idea who he’s bringing. Laurel might. They’ve gotten lunch like three times this week.” Tommy remarked

“Is that a hint of jealousy I hear? You’re not worried about that happening again, are you?” I asked, trying to get Tommy onto another topic.

“No, I’m not. Laurel’s not the one he doesn't shut up about.” Tommy replied

I shook my head, just as my phone started to ring, seeing Lexi’s nanny’s name and picture flash across the screen.

“Hi Nina.” I answered

“Miss Smoak! Did you send somebody else to pick up Lexi?” Nina asked

I felt my heart drop as I stood up. _No, this isn’t happening._

“No. Why? Is she not at the gate?” I asked, watching Tommy stand up, watching me.

“I didn't send anybody, Nina. Get the staff, I’m calling the police.” I hung up.

“Felicity, what is going on?” Tommy asked

“Call my step father, somebody took Lexi. I...have to call Ray.” I stammered

Tommy looked like he was about to throw up, but grabbed his phone. I was already calling Ray, so Tommy went into the living room to make the call.

I looked down at my hand, seeing it shake.

“Felicity, I'm in a meeting.” Ray answered

“Somebody took Lexi from school.” Tears were streaming down my face.

Ray didn't say anything but I heard background noise, then people calling after him before the line went dead.

Tommy was in front of me, grabbing my shoulders, forcing me to sit down.

“Breathe, Felicity. Your mother and stepfather are on their way, he’s already sent men to the school, and it’s going out on every radio to every cop in the city,” Tommy kneeled down in front of me, making himself eye level, “We’re gonna find her.”

My heart was racing, I couldn't see straight.

“I’m gonna get you some water.” Tommy disappeared out of my line of view, and I picked my phone up, opening a text to Oliver.

_SOS. Get here. Now._  
  
The next few minutes were a blur, time flying yet dragging at the same time. And then my mother and Quentin were in my kitchen, my mother hugging me and not letting go, while my stepfather yelled at people on the phone.

“Felicity.”

My mother let me go as Ray arrived; I ran toward him, throwing myself into his arms.

“Somebody has her, Ray.” I sobbed

“Felicity, I need your most recent pictures of Lexi. We’re sending her photo to every news station in the city, and all the neighboring cities.” Quentin stated

“My phone is unlocked, there’s thousands.” I stammered

“I’m going to go talk Q and the other cops, sit down.” Ray suggested

I nodded, sitting down on the staircase.

I was looking at my shaking hands, taking deep breaths. I was vaguely aware more people were arriving, I heard more cops arrive. I looked up when Caitlin arrived, but I couldn't say anything, fearing that it would officially send me over the edge of being inconsolable, a fact my best friend seemed to understand as she sat down silently next to me.

“Felicity, I know this is hard. But I need to ask a few questions.”

I looked up at my step father’s voice.

“Okay.” I barely recognized my own voice.

“Do you have any idea who could have done this? Anybody with a vendetta?” Quentin asked

“I work in IT. You’d be better off asking Ray.” I snapped

“I did, Lis. I promise that I am doing everything to bring Lexi back to us.” Quentin spoke softly.

“Look, Quentin, Ray is one of the richest men in the world. He hasn't gotten that way by always playing nice. So yes, he could have made enemies that are coming after us. But that could also mean somebody wants money.” I replied, thinking of yet another possibility; _somebody found out Oliver is Lexi’s father and is coming for revenge._

“And if that is the case, we will pay them any number they come up with.” Ray stated

“Felicity.” Oliver’s voice caused me to look up, seeing him standing in the doorway.

“Queen, what the hell are you doing here?” Quentin asked; I saw my mother place her hand on his shoulder and shake her head ever so slightly.

Ray was looking at me, I knew that, but I was staring at Oliver. He looked tense, scanning the room.

“Lexi, somebody took her.” I forced myself to stand up, watching as my mother led Quentin to the kitchen with Ray trailing behind. Caitlin followed behind them.

“Somebody took our girl.” I whispered

“We’re going to get her back, Felicity. The cops are doing everything they can, but you and me? We can't do everything we can do here.” Oliver glanced around the room; the cops were gathered in the living room, my family in the kitchen.

“Let’s go.” I grabbed my laptop bag off the floor, making my way out the front door quietly. I grabbed Oliver's hand as we rushed towards his motorcycle. I already had the helmet on, climbing on the back of the bike when I heard Ray shout my name. I didn't look back.

“Go!” I told Oliver as I wrapped my arms around his waist; I’d deal with the consequences after my daughter was safe.

Normally, the speed at which Oliver was racing through the streets would have scared me, but I was too distracted to worry about that.

When we pulled into the parking lot of the club, I was off the bike in a flash; Oliver grabbed my hand, leading me through the club, to the basement where Diggle was waiting, but I ignored him, running over to the computers.

“I’m hitting the streets, I’m going to see if I can find anything.” Diggle announced

Oliver mumbled something I didn't catch to Diggle.

“The tracker I put on Lexi’s is disabled. They must have something that’s blocking the signal.” Oliver was typing on the computer next to me while I was into the school’s system, finding the security footage in a matter of minutes.

“You don't think this is about money, do you?” Oliver asked

“Do you?” I snapped

“Goddamn, I knew I should have stayed away from both of you. I knew I was putting you in danger. I’m so sorry, Felicity.” Oliver’s voice forced me to turn towards him; I could see Oliver internally beating himself up.

“This is not your fault, Oliver. The only person responsible is the one who has her,” I grabbed his shoulders, forcing him to look me in the eyes, “But I do want you to promise me one thing.”

“Anything.” Oliver remarked

“When I find out who this person is, and I will not rest until I do, you are going to put on that hood and you will make them pay.” I demanded

“I can promise you that.” Oliver promised

“Good. Now, go. Go hit the streets. I will call you the moment I find anything.” I ordered

I turned back to the computers while Oliver suited up.

“The school footage is utterly useless. Forty thousand a year for private school and they don't even properly place cameras, or make sure the person picking the child up is on the approved list. They will never recover from the lawsuit I'm going to hit them with.” I snapped

Oliver placed an earpiece next to me on the desk.

“We need to be in constant contact.” Oliver stated

I nodded, putting the earpiece in as Oliver disappeared up the stairs.

I started hacking into the city’s street cameras, when my phone started ringing. Ray’s picture popped up. I answered, putting it on speaker while I continued to type.

“What the hell, Felicity?” Ray almost shouted

“Have you heard anything?” I asked, even though I was monitoring the police scanners.

“No. Where the hell are you? Our daughter is missing and you run off with Queen?” Ray shouted

“Ray, Oliver knows the Hood. He can help us.” I explained

“So you’re with the vigilante?” Ray asked

“Ray, I’m trying to find our daughter. I can't exactly hack into the city’s systems while my police captain stepfather is standing in my kitchen.” I replied

“Fine. Whatever. Keep me posted.” The line went dead.

When I spotted a little girl on a street camera near the school, I zoomed in, my breath catching in my throat when I saw it was Lexi. I instantly recognized who was with her.

“Oliver!” I shouted

“Yeah?” Oliver’s muffled voice came in over the earpiece.

“It’s Helena. Helena has her.” My mind was racing; _why would Oliver’s ex-girlfriend take Lexi?_

“Helena? I warned you she was trouble, Oliver.” I hadn't realized Diggle was on the line.

“Goddamn it. I’ll find her, Felicity.” Oliver promised

“I gotta call Quentin, get him and his guys on her.” I clicked the button the the earpiece, turning it off for the moment.

Quentin picked up on the first ring.

“Felicity! Where the hell are you?” He asked

“Honey, are you okay?” I could hear my mother in the background.

“I can't tell you, Q. I’m sorry. But I’m fine. I promise. Listen, you guys have to start looking for Helena Bertinelli. She has Lexi.” I replied

I heard Quentin shouting at his men for a moment.

“How do you know that, Felicity?” Quentin asked

“I can't tell you that either, Quentin. All I can say is the police aren't the only ones out there looking for our girl, and at the moment, all I care about is finding her, so if I have to break a thousand laws to do that, so be it.” I exclaimed before hanging up the line.

I heard a sound from the stairs, and turned around expecting to see Oliver.

“Why aren't you out there looking for Lexi?” I snapped

The person that stepped into view was not who I expected.

“I’m sorry, Felicity. I wasn't expecting you to be here.” She stated

“Where is my daughter?” I demanded

“She's okay.” Helena promised

“Excuse me if I don't trust you on that.” I snapped, eyeing the gun on the table a few feet away.

“Oh, don't do that.” Helena warned

I dove for it before feeling something hit my shoulder, then my back hitting the floor.

 

I groaned, feeling the pain in my shoulder and head.

“Mom! Mommy!” Lexi’s voice forced me to open my eyes, searching for her. I leaned up, looking around the room, spotting her sitting in the corner.

“Lexi! Sweetie, are you okay?” I asked

Looking around the room, I gathered that Helena must have knocked me out and brought me somewhere, but Lexi was in front of me, so it didn't matter.

“I’m okay. Mama, what’s happening?” Lexi asked, making her way over to me.

I flung my arms around her, not letting go.  
  
“It’ll be okay, Lexi, I promise.” I whispered into her hair.

“She said she was daddy’s friend. And then she brought me here and closed the door.” Lexi explained

Saving my speech about strangers until after we were free, I stood up, inspecting the room; the room was empty, not an object in sight. No windows, only a steel door that didn't open from the inside. I patted my pockets, but knew she wouldn't be stupid enough to leave me with a cell phone. If Lexi’s tracker was disabled, so was mine, which meant I had to trust Oliver would find us.

“Mom, are you okay? You’re bleeding.” Lexi stated

I glanced down at my shoulder, seeing the small wound, but it wasn't bleeding heavily, so it didn't seem too bad.

“I’m okay, my beautiful girl.” I ran my fingers through her hair.

I knew there was nothing I could do except wait and hope the next time the door opened, it was Oliver or Quentin, not Helena.

“Lexi, go sit in that corner.” I pointed at the corner farthest from the door.

After Lexi sat down, I moved to sit facing her, blocking her from the door.

“Mom, why are we here?” Lexi asked

“I don't know.” I admitted

“When can we go home?” Lexi asked

“Soon, baby girl. Grandpa is looking for us, and my friend is too. And we both know Grandpa is the best cop in the city.” I tried to comfort her, but also myself.

Lexi nodded.

“While we wait, why don't you tell me about school today?” I requested

Lexi told me about her day in excruciating detail, but then I could tell she was getting sleepy. I leaned against the wall and motioned for her to sit my lap. She leaned her head against me my shoulder, and I started softly singing the only song that came to my mind.

“Baby mine, don't you cry. Baby mine, dry your eyes. Rest your head close to my heart, never to part, baby of mine.” I could feel her breathing even out, letting me know she was falling asleep.

I wished I could fall asleep, but my brain wouldn't let me, so I stayed awake, watching the door. It was impossible to tell how much time went by. Could have been minutes or hours, there was no way to tell.

When I heard noise outside the door, I shook Lexi awake.

“Get behind me and don't move, no matter what.” I ordered

There was a bang that caused Lexi to scream, and even I flinched. The door flew open, revealing a man in black mask. He moved so quickly, before I could even react, he was behind me, holding a knife to my throat.

“Mom!” Lexi cried

“It’s okay, baby girl.” I tried to keep my voice as level as possible.

I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding when I saw the unmistakable green hood step into the room, bow drawn. _He’s here. He won't let anything happen to Lexi_. Suddenly, the knife didn't seem so terrifying.

“Let her go.” Oliver’s voice boomed

The man holding the knife chuckled.

“I could slice her throat faster than you can fire that arrow.” The man stated

Even under the hood on, I could see Oliver’s blue eyes and a look I had never seen on his face. Everything about him was radiating rage. Even if the man behind me dropped his knife and threw his hands up, I knew he wasn't leaving this room unless it was in a body bag.

“Let go of my mom!” Lexi screamed, kicking the man in the back of the knee. The man’s surprise caused him to loosen his grip, and Oliver took the opportunity to fire. I dove out of the way as the arrow hit the man’s shoulder, watching as Oliver shot off four more arrows into the man.

“Are you okay? Are you both okay?” Oliver asked as he rushed over to us.

“We’re okay, we’re both okay.” I picked Lexi up, she clung to me as tightly as she could.

“I called Lance, I have to get out of here.” Oliver replied

“Thank you.” I hugged him as well as I could with Lexi clinging to me.

“I’ll meet you at the hospital.” Oliver whispered

I nodded, watching him disappear moments before the cops, Quentin leading the crowd, rushed in.

“We got them, Donna.” Quentin spoke into his phone. “Are you girls okay?”

“We’re okay.” I answered

“Mom’s shoulder is hurt.” Lexi added

“Let’s get you to the hospital and have you both checked out.” Quentin shrugged himself out of his jacket, handing it to me as he grabbed Lexi from me, wrapping her in a blanket one of the officers handed him. Balancing Lexi in one arm, and wrapping the other around my shoulder, Quentin led us out of the room; despite his best efforts to shield me from seeing it, I still caught glimpses of three men dead in the hallway; two with arrows in their chests, a third with no apparent wounds, but with the angle his neck was at, I could guess his cause of death.

The ride was a blur, I couldn't focus. I was trying process the day without completely breaking down.

Quentin tried to get me to sit in a wheelchair when we got to the hospital, but I refused.

“I’m fine, Q. Really.” I insisted, following him and the doctor to the room they already had waiting. Ray and my mother were waiting inside.

“Oh honey.” My mother rushed over to both of us, going back and forth between us with hugs.

“Daddy!” Lexi ran over to Ray, who immediately scooped her up into his arms.

“Hey, princess. I missed you.” Ray smiled at Lexi, holding her close to his chest.

“We need to check that wound out, Miss Smoak.” The doctor stated

“Please, just look her over first. I couldn't see any injuries, but..” I insisted

“Okay, but I'm going to insist you lay down on the bed.” The doctor motioned towards the bed. I nodded.

“We’re going to the next room to check her over.” The doctor stated

I was about to protest, but Ray stopped me before I could.

“I’m going with her.” Ray insisted

The doctor nodded, and I laid down on the hospital bed as they headed out.

“Quentin wants to speak to you, but I’ll be right outside.” My mother stated

“Okay.” I nodded

My mother left, leaving me and my stepfather alone.

“I can save you some time because I know what you’re going to ask. No, I don't know who The Hood is. No, I don't know where his headquarters are. No, I don't know why Helena targeted us.” I lied pretty convincingly, although the last sentence was an absolute truth.

“Well, we think she probably saw an opportunity when she met you and Ray. She probably figured Palmer would pay anything to get his fiancée and child back. I’m sure she didn't expect The Hood would find you first. But this is all just speculation. We’ll find her and we’ll get answers.” Quentin promised  
  
Knowing she was still out there made me a little sick to my stomach, but I knew Oliver was probably out there hunting her down at this very moment, which made me feel a little better.  
  
“Lexi was given the all clear, she’s perfectly fine. Just hungry. Ray took her to the cafeteria to get food with half a dozen cops.” My mom informed us when she stepped back into the room, causing me to let out a sigh of relief.

_She’s really okay_.

The doctor came back, inspecting my shoulder. 

“Looks like the bullet just grazed you, Miss Smoak. A couple of stitches and you’ll be fine,” She reported with a smile, “I’ll stitch you up and give you some antibiotics.”

“Thank you, doctor.” I replied

“Oh, I can't watch. You know I don't do well, seeing you in pain.” My mom stated

“Go get coffee with Ray and Lexi. Q, you should go with her. I’m sure the dozen cops you have outside will do just fine at protecting me. You look like you haven't eaten or even sat down today.”

Quentin hesitated, but ultimately followed my mother out of the room.

The numbing medication they put on the wound was very effective, because I didn't feel a thing as she stitched me up.

“Okay, Miss Smoak. It'll take a while to discharge you, but you’re set. And just as a disclaimer, your antibiotics will cancel out your birth control, so you’ll want to use a backup.” The doctor informed me.

“Okay.” I nodded

“Felicity?” Tommy appeared in the doorway, Laurel behind him.

“You can come in, I was just leaving.” The doctor smiled

Tommy rushed over to hug me while Laurel sat down at the edge of the bed.

“I can't believe Helena did this. It’s so crazy.” Laurel stated

“I’m just glad you and Lexi are okay. I was so worried.” Tommy exclaimed

“I can’t believe you took off with Oliver to get the Hood’s help. That was insane and brave.” Laurel stated

“I did what I had to do.” I shrugged, immediately regretting the motion as the pain radiated through my shoulder.

  
Oliver didn't show up at the hospital, and soon we were at home. Ray didn't speak in the car, and I had a feeling it wasn't going to go well when he did decide to speak.

“There are cops surrounding the house, nobody is getting in here.” Quentin promised before he left.

“Mama, I’m sleepy.” Lexi whined

I looked at the clock; according to my math, we had been in that room for four hours, and another three at the hospital. It had been only eight hours since I got that damn call, but it felt like it’d been a week.

“Come on, you can take a quick bath and go to bed.” I stated

It didn't take long to get Lexi in bed, and I sat at her bedside, watching over her, until Ray appeared in the doorway. I braced myself for the inevitable argument.

“You should shower, it’s been a long day. I'll watch her.” Ray mumbled

I stood up, trying to figure out what to say.

“Don't. Tonight isn't the night. Tonight, the only thing that matters is that Alexandra is safe.” Ray whispered, his eyes never meeting mine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So originally this was two chapters but I decided to combine them and not leave you hanging :)
> 
> I think the next chapter should be up by Friday or Saturday.
> 
> As always, let me know what you think, and feel free to hit me up on atiredfangirl.tumblr.com, or on twitter @WithLove_HW, let me know what you think or just say hi, whatever :)


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said this would be up Saturday morning and it's 11:32 AM so I technically just made my deadline. Go me!

I stayed in the shower for over an hour; once I stepped under the hot water, it seemed like the weight of the day came crashing down on me. _My daughter was kidnapped. My daughter was taken. I could have lost her. I may have lost my fiancé in the process_. I broke down in tears, letting the shower wash away the tears as fast as the fell. By the time I got out of the shower, my eyes were bloodshot and puffy.

Wrapped in my towel, I walked into the bedroom.

“Don't scream, it’s just me.” I immediately knew the voice, but it didn't keep me from jumping, almost dropping my towel in the process. Oliver turned the bedside light on.

“How did you get in here?” I whispered

“Really? I’m the vigilante, I can sneak past some cops.” Oliver replied in the same hushed tone.

I glanced at the door, seeing it was closed, while I had left open.

“He’s not going to leave her side, Lis. And we need to talk.” Oliver stated

“Yeah...not while I'm naked.” I headed for the dresser, grabbed some clothes and walked back into the bathroom. I slipped into the oversized pale blue sweater and white leggings and quickly made my way back into the bedroom.

“I’m so sorry, Felicity. This is only happened because of me.” Oliver whispered as I sat down next to him at the foot of the bed.

“This happened because Helena is insane.” I replied

“Was,” Oliver rubbed his face with his hand, “you’ll get a call soon letting you know Helena was found with three arrows in her chest.”

I let out a sigh of relief.

“How did you find us? What did she want?” I asked

“She took Lexi as leverage, she had seen us the other day at the park and realized...that Lexi had to be my daughter. She wanted me to help her kill her father. So I did. Then she told me where to find you, but if I killed her, her guards would kill you before I got to you because they were waiting for a call,” Oliver stood up, “so I let her go. I found you, and then I went after her. I think she knew I wouldn't stop until I found her. I couldn't. She knew who I am and she knew to use you and Lexi to get what she wanted from me. She would've done it again.”

“Thank you, Oliver. For everything.” I grabbed his hand, to stop the pacing.

“How can you not be mad at me? She only came after you and Lexi because of me.” Oliver replied

“I don't blame you, Oliver. You shouldn't blame you either.” I insisted

The door opened, and I immediately dropped Oliver's hand.

“Unreal,” Ray shook his head, “I just came to check on you, but clearly you’re fine.” Ray snapped

Ray turned to leave and I chased after him.

“Ray, please stop.” I begged as I followed him down the stairs.

“I said tonight wasn't the night, but apparently you couldn't even wait until tomorrow to see him.” Ray snapped

“Ray, he just wanted to check on us.” I stated

“Felicity, I have tried. God, I have tried to ignore it. But the day Oliver Queen was found alive, I became second best, didn't I? Or were you always settling with me?” Ray asked

“Ray, I’m not settling for you. I’m choosing you. Why can't you see that?” I asked

“Do you love him?” Ray asked

“Yes,” I grabbed his hand, forcing him to look at me, “but not like I love you. And I have chosen to marry you.”

“I know you love me, Felicity. I don't and have never questioned that. But I don't believe you’re in love with me. Not the way I am with you. You fell in love with Oliver a long time ago, and maybe you are still love with him, maybe you aren't, I don't know. But I know you’re not in love with me.”

“Ray, please don't do this.” I begged

“I think I always knew you weren't in love with me, and I probably would have accepted that before. But now? I’m not a masochist, Felicity, I can't deal with seeing your old love come over to visit your daughter.” Ray’s words felt like a punch as I realized what he was saying.

“Look, I’ll stay here in the guest room for a couple of days while we figure things out. Figure out what to tell people, tell Lexi, but I’ll start calling the vendors in the morning and cancelling everything for the wedding.” Ray’s voice was surprisingly calm, while I had tears running down my cheeks.

“I'm so sorry, Ray. You have to understand that I would never want to hurt you. Not ever. You are the last person in the world that deserves to be hurt. You have been the most wonderful man to me and to Lexi, and you deserve the world. I do love you.” I tried, and failed, to keep my voice from cracking.

“I know you do, Felicity, and I wish that was enough.” Ray walked away, disappearing into his home office. I sat on the stairs a while, staring blankly at the wall. I heard movement upstairs, snapping me out of my trance. I rushed towards Lexi’s room to check on her, finding Oliver standing at the foot of the bed.

“She’s okay.” I promised

“Are you?” Oliver asked quietly

“I’m fine. A few stitches.” I replied

“I wasn't talking about your shoulder, Felicity.” Oliver shot me a knowing look.

“So you heard that,” I sighed, “I’m not okay, but I will be.”

Oliver closed the distance between us, engulfing me in a hug.

“I should go. I should stay away from both of you.” Oliver whispered

“That isn't up to you. I’m in, Oliver. I can help you. We can make a difference. We can save people.” I insisted

“I can't let you put yourself or Lexi in danger, Felicity.”

“We’re going to be in danger no matter what, Oliver. Keeping a distance won't help. The best way to protect her is to be near her.” I stated

Oliver kissed my forehead before stepping away.

“We’ll discuss this in a few days when we’ve both calmed down.”

Oliver left, although I didn't know how he got out without being seen by the cops.

I sighed, looking down at my sleeping daughter. I knew I wouldn't be sleeping in my room, if I slept at all. I went toward window, looking out to see the three officers standing by it, which made me relax a little. I knew Quentin would have the place surrounded by the best cops in the city. It didn't stop me from triple checking that the alarm was on before closing myself in Lexi’s room with her, before I pulled a sleeping bag stored at the top of her closet.

It took hours to fall asleep, I had a hard time taking my eyes off Lexi to close my eyes.

  
“Mama.” Lexi’s confused voice woke me up.

“Morning baby.” I mumbled

“Why are you sleeping on the floor?” Lexi asked

“Because I love you and wanted to stay in here with you.” I smiled

I watched as Lexi climbed off her bed and made her way over to me, scooting over so she could lay next to me in the sleeping bag. She cuddled up to me, and I pulled her closer to me.

We laid like that until a knock on the door interrupted us.

“Come in.” I answered  
  
“I made breakfast.” Ray stated

“We’ll be right down.” I replied

When we made our way downstairs, Lexi made a beeline for the pancakes and bacon waiting for her on the table. I glanced at the paper next to Ray’s phone, a checklist of vendors, half of them already crossed off. I sighed, pouring myself some coffee.

“Donna called, she and Quentin are coming over to spend some time with Lexi.” Ray stated

I nodded, having half expected to come downstairs to find them there.

“When they get here, I’ll be in my office. We should talk.” Ray stated quietly, disappearing out of the room.

I couldn't bring myself to eat the food in front of me, opting to stick to coffee, sure my stomach couldn't handle food.  
  
“Felicity? Lexi?” My mother’s voice called out from the foyer.

“Kitchen.” I called out; moments later my mother and stepfather were in my kitchen, each hugging me then Lexi.

“Are you okay, sweetie?” My mother asked

“I honestly don't know.” I answered, keeping my voice void of emotions.

“We found Helena last night. She won't be a problem anymore.” Quentin kept the details out since Lexi was right there.

“Good,” Of course, I already knew, but he didn't know that, “Happy to hear it. Can you guys keep an eye on Lexi? I need to talk to Ray.”

“Of course.” My mom replied

I stood up, refilling my coffee mug, making my way to Ray’s office. I would have knocked, but there didn't seem to be much of a point, so I just stepped inside. Ray was on the phone, so he motioned for me to sit down. I sat down on the couch, not wanting to sit in the chair across from him. He hung up the phone a few seconds later, but stared at me in silence.

“So, now what?” I broke the silence, “Where do we go from here?”

“I don't know, it’s not like I’ve ever called off an engagement, much less with a child involved.” Ray stated, his voice irritated.

“God, what do we tell her? How do we explain this?” I asked

“She’s your daughter, Felicity.” Ray replied

I stared blankly at Ray. Not once had he referred to Lexi as anything other than ‘our’ daughter.

“Our daughter. Ray, no matter what happens between us, you’ve been that little girl’s father her entire life.” I stated

“Yes, but that was before Oliver was back in her life.” Ray countered

I sighed, rubbing my face with the hand that wasn't holding my coffee.

“If you’re going to disappear from her life, do it now. Maybe she’s young enough to not have it scar her.” I snapped

“Don't. Don’t do that. I’m trying to figure out how this is going to work. I'm trying to figure out what place I’m going to have in her life.” Ray replied

“I never want her to know what it's like to have her father abandon her.” I whispered, but he was able to hear it.

“I’m not going to abandon her, Felicity. We’ll work out a schedule or something, but if Oliver is going to be in her life, it gets real complicated.” Ray stated

“I honestly...don't know if Oliver will be a part of her life. At least in any way other than ‘Mom’s friend Ollie’ way.” I admitted

“I’m going to go to the Gotham headquarters for a few days. I'll look for a place when I get back and we’ll talk to Lexi.” Ray stood suddenly.

“What?” I asked

“It only make senses for you to stay here with her.” Ray answered

“This is your childhood house, Ray.” I remarked

“It’s hers too.” Ray stated

“I can't do that, and I can pretty much guarantee Grace wouldn't let it happen anyways,” I shook my head, “I’ll find a place.”

Ray sighed, grabbing something from his desk.

“I have to go. I'm expected in Gotham in a few hours.” Ray stated

I watched Ray walk out of the room, staying put for a few minutes.

Lexi snapped me out of my trance a few minutes later.

“Mama! Can we sleep in our sleeping bags tonight in the living room?” Lexi asked excitedly.

“Sure, baby girl. Daddy’s going out of town for business, but maybe Uncle Tommy can come over.” I answered

“Yes!” Lexi exclaimed

I followed Lexi out of the room, finding my mother in the living room.

“We’re going to camp in the living room tonight, if you and Q wanted to join us.” I stated

“Oh, I don't think my back can handle that anymore.” My mother laughed

I texted Tommy, inviting him and Laurel over later.

“I know you came over to see Lexi, but I need to run some errands, and I hate to leave her after yesterday.” I stated

“It’s fine, I'll come over tomorrow.” My mother replied

A few minutes later, we were in my mini, on our way to the Queen estate.

“Where are we going?” Lexi asked from the backseat.

“We’re going to see Oliver and Thea.” I replied, glancing in my rear view mirror to see Lexi’s happy dance in her seat. She had quickly grown very fond of Oliver and Thea.

I turned on my playlist of Lexi’s favorite songs, keeping her entertained for the drive out of the city.

None of the guards stopped me this time, but by the time I had driven up the long driveway, Oliver and Thea were already standing in the entryway, waiting, so they must have called them.

As soon as I unbuckled Lexi, she sped off towards the door, practically knocking into Thea.

“Hi beautiful.” Thea chuckled

“Sorry for dropping by unannounced.” I stated as I reached the front door.

“Oh, you know you guys are always welcome.” Thea replied, pulling me into a hug, “I’m so happy you’re both okay.”

“It was a long day, but we’re good.” I reported

I looked to Oliver, who had remained silent so far.

“Thea, how about you go show Lexi the new toys you bought for her?” Oliver suggested

Thea glanced between us then nodded.

“Come on, let’s go play Barbies!” Thea scooped Lexi up, taking off towards what could only be called a playroom. Everytime we showed up, Thea had bought more toys; I think she had as much fun playing with the barbies as Lexi, honestly.

“Can we talk?” I asked

Oliver nodded, leading me towards his room. We passed Moira in the hall, not a word spoken between the three of us.

“What’s going on?” Oliver asked as soon as he closed the door behind us.

“First of all, I want to hire a bodyguard to follow Lexi around. I figure that’s more your territory, I assume Diggle must know some he could recommend?” I sat down in his desk chair, watching as he sat down on the edge of the bed.

“Done. I’ll have Diggle chose his best guys.” Oliver stated

I nodded, suddenly nervous about the discussion I had actually come out here to have. I looked down on the desk, tracing circles with my finger on the wood.

“Fe-li-ci-ty.” Oliver pronounced every syllable of my name, which he only did when he was trying to get me to talk to him, or when he knew I was mad at him. It worked every time.

When I looked up, I found Oliver crouched down in front of me.

“What’s wrong?” Oliver asked

“Nothing. I just...look, a lot is going on. A lot is happening right now, and Lexi’s going to have a lot of uncertainty in her life for a while, and I just need to know. I need to know what you want. Do you want to tell her the truth? I know it’s not safe, but clearly it wasn't safe before either. And she deserves to have you and Thea, and god help me, Moira.” I knew I was rambling, and still I continued, “But if you don't want to tell her, then I respect that, but I need to know where you stand on this.”  
  
Oliver sighed.

“I don't know, Felicity. Believe me, I’d love nothing more than to be the father she needs, but I don't think I can be. And I don't want to end up hurting her.” Oliver refused to make eye contact, so I put my hands on his cheek, forcing him to look at me.

“Oliver, please, don't worry that you won't be a good enough father.” I watched as Oliver stepped backwards, forcing me to drop my hands from his face, “Nobody’s perfect at this parent thing, believe me, but you love her and I know you will do everything in your power to make sure she’s happy and safe. That’s all any parent can do.”

“You don't understand, Felicity, you don't know what I went through, the things I did, the person I’ve become.” Oliver exclaimed, walking towards the other side of the room. I stood up, unexpectedly irritated by his words.

“You’re right, I don't know. You haven't told me, and although I don't understand why you won't tell anybody, I respect that is your choice.” I stepped in front of him, forcing him to stop pacing, “But here’s what I do know. I know that whatever happened to you on that island made you believe that you don't deserve to be happy, but you do. Whatever you had to do in those five years was to survive. You had to do it. It doesn't make you a bad person or mean that you have to let it make you miserable for the rest of your life. You’re not on the island anymore, Oliver, it’s not all about surviving anymore. It's time to live your life.”

I found myself tearing up and mentally cursed myself.

“Hey, hey, hey, no crying on my account.” Oliver wiped the tears off my face.

“I don't know what happened, but I know you suffered for five years, in ways nobody should, and it’s time to stop. You’re home, Oliver. Please, let yourself be happy.” I begged

“It’s not that simple. I’m never going to be the person I was before. I’m always going to carry that darkness with me.” Oliver’s voice sounded like he was a million miles away.

“You don't have to do it alone, Oliver. You don't have to be alone. You have friends, you have family, you have me.” I wrapped my arms around him, forcing him into a hug he didn't return.  
  
“Felicity, I...I don't know how to. How to be a normal person again.” Oliver admitted

“You, we, will figure it out. I’m begging you to try. I see you, and you don't let anybody in, and it breaks my heart.” I confessed

“I'll try.” Oliver’s arms snaked around my waist, pulling my body against him.

I looked up at him, recognizing the look in his eyes; the same look in his eyes the time we were in this room, before we were interrupted by an attacker. My heart rate picked up, and I was suddenly very aware of every place on my body that was currently touching his.

“Oliver, I d-” My words were cut off by Oliver’s lips. I put my hands on his chest, gently pushing him away.

“I’m sorry.” Oliver stepped backwards.

“We can't do this.” I motioned between us, “When I said you had me, this isn't what I meant.”

“I know.” Oliver whispered

“I was engaged yesterday, Oliver. I can't do this. And we have a daughter to think about.” I remarked

“You’re right. Sorry.” Oliver sighed

“I’m not going to repeat the past. We weren’t healthy, and I’m not going to start anything that might affect our friendship and Lexi’s life.” I stated

“I don’t want to do anything to affect our friendship or hurt Lexi either.” Oliver agreed

“I should go.” I stated

“You don’t have to.” Oliver replied

“I do. I need some normalcy, so Lexi and I are going to go shopping. Oh, we’re camping out in our living room tonight, if you and Thea want to join us. Tommy’s coming. I invited Laurel but she’s not coming.” I shrugged

“I’ll see if Thea wants to. She might have plans with Roy.” At least since his kidnapping, Oliver didn’t seem to have the same disdain for Roy.

“He could come too.” I shrugged, “Either way, the invitation stands. Just bring a sleeping bag if you decide to come.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I expect this should have, roughly, seven more chapters. We'll see. It could end up being more. But, I already have another two stories in the works but I think I'll wait until this story is finished before I start posting either of them, despite already having a good chuck of each of them already written. Best to focus on one at a time.
> 
> As always, let me know what you think, and feel free to hit me up on atiredfangirl.tumblr.com, or on twitter @WithLove_HW, let me know what you think or just say hi, whatever :)


	14. Chapter 14

“Look, I have tried everything I can think of. I can’t get into Merlyn Global’s mainframe remotely.” I sighed as I sipped on my coffee.

“We have to find a way to find out more about the Undertaking.” Oliver replied

“I’m out of ideas, Oliver. Maybe if we told Tommy, he could access the mainframe and get the files for us.” I suggested

“No way. Even if it believed me, which considering how he’s been since he found out I doubt, it’s too dangerous. We have no idea what Malcolm would do if he found out.” Oliver stated

The doorbell rang, and I hopped up to answer it as Lexi bolted towards the door.

“Don’t even think about touching that doorknob, Alexandra.” I exclaimed

I picked Lexi up, slinging her on my hip before I opened the door, coming face to face with Charlotte Palmer.

“Aunt Lottie!” Lexi shouted

“Hi Lexi. Felicity.” Charlotte greeted me tensely, “My brother sent me to get a few things.”

“Right.” I replied, letting her inside. Her eyes went straight to Oliver sitting at the kitchen table.

“Really? It’s been what, a week? Ten days? And in Ray’s house?” Charlotte snapped

“It’s not like that. At all.” I sighed  
  
“He’s sitting at your kitchen table drinking coffee at seven AM on a Saturday morning.” Charlotte snapped

“Oliver, would you mind taking Lexi upstairs for a minute?” I asked

Oliver wordlessly took Lexi and disappeared up the stairs.

“Charlotte, he’s just here to see Lexi.” I stated

“You don’t have to convince me. It won’t matter.” Charlotte stated

“Fine, Lottie.” I didn’t want to argue with her. “I always knew you hated me, I never knew why.”

“This is why! I always knew you’d hurt him!” Charlotte snapped

“I never wanted to hurt your brother. I never planned on any of this happening.” I sighed

“But it happened and you did hurt him. He loved you and your daughter. You never loved him as much he loved you.” Charlotte exclaimed

“I love your brother.” I replied

“Yeah but not like he loves you. That’s why I’ve always hated you, Felicity. You knew you weren’t in love with Ray, you wanted him because he was stable and comfortable and he loved you and he would take care of Lexi. You didn’t think about what was best for Ray. He deserves the absolute best, that’s not you.” Charlotte stormed up the stairs, leaving me standing alone, guilt settling in my gut.

“Felicity.” Oliver had Lexi in his arms, standing at the top of the stairs.

“Just, don’t.” I sighed

“I should probably go.” Oliver remarked

“The damage is already done, she already thinks what she’s going to think.” I shrugged

“Well, I could go ahead and go to the park and we could meet you there.” Oliver suggested as he carried Lexi down the stairs.

“Sure.” I nodded, turning my attention to Lexi, “Oliver’s going to take you to the park. I’ll be there in a few minutes, okay?”

“Okay, mom.” Lexi replied

I had to stand on my tiptoes reach her in Oliver’s arms to kiss her cheek.

“See you in a little while.” I watched Oliver and Lexi leave.

“Well, you guys look like quite the domestic little family.” Charlotte stated from the top of the stairs, a duffle bag in each hand.

“Charlotte, please just don’t. This is all hard enough.” I sighed

“Whatever. I’m going.” Charlotte came down the stairs, “Oh, my mother would like to know a rough estimate of when you’ll be moving out.”

“I haven’t had the chance to look. I’ll be sure to let you know.” I rolled my eyes. I knew it wasn’t Grace that was rushing to get me out. “Are you going to Gotham?”

“What? Why would I go to Gotham? Like…ever?” Charlotte asked

“Isn’t Ray in Gotham?” I asked

“No, he’s been at the Starling City Plaza penthouse since he left here.” Charlotte replied

Charlotte left; I went upstairs to finish getting ready, staring at my closet for longer than necessary, considering I was already dressed. Eventually, I picked out my white heels and purse to go with the dark skinny jeans and flowy white top. I looked down at the engagement ring on my finger, suddenly feeling like it weighed a hundred pounds. I slipped it off my finger, stashing it into a pocket inside my purse to be dealt with later.

  
The park wasn’t far from the house, so I decided to walk it rather than drive, grabbing my favorite pink coat on my way out.

“She’s certainly energetic.” Oliver laughed as I approached the swing set where he was pushing Lexi.

“She certainly is.” I laughed

“You okay?” Oliver asked

“Yeah, I’m fine.” I replied

“Mama, go on the slide with me.” Lexi exclaimed

“Um, I’m not really dressed for it, sweetheart.” I replied

“I’ll go with you, Lex.” Oliver laughed

“Okay!”

My phone rang as Oliver and Lexi ran off towards the slide.

“Hi mom.” I answered

“Hey sweetie! Am I still watching Lexi today?” My mom asked

“Yeah, we’re at the park. I’ll be dropping her off in a bit.” I replied

“What are you up to today?” My mom asked

“Oliver’s bodyguard set up interviews with some bodyguards for Lexi.” I replied

“Alright, well, I’ll see you shortly.”

I hung up the phone a moment later.

“I hate to ruin the fun, but we gotta get going.” I announced

“But mama..” Lexi whined

“I’m sorry, sweetie, but you’re going to grandma’s house. Maybe she’ll bring you back later.” I stated

Lexi pouted the entire way to the car.

“The resemblance to her mother is uncanny when she’s pouting like that.” Oliver laughed

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I grinned

Oliver unlocked the car, loading Lexi into the newly installed Minnie Mouse booster seat; it almost looked comical how out of place it looked in Oliver’s forest green Bentley.

“Can we listen to Disney?” Lexi asked as soon as Oliver started the car.

“Disney?” Oliver looked at me.

“I have a playlist on my phone of all of her favorite Disney songs. Mind if I play it?” I didn’t wait for a response before connecting the Bluetooth on my phone and started the playlist.

As the opening notes if You’ve Got A Friend In Me started, I made a mental checklist for the day.

• Interview bodyguards  
• Make attempt number two hundred to get in Merlyn Global’s mainframe.  
• Try to get Oliver and Tommy to speak  
• Find a realtor  
• Go see Ray

There was also the small matter of breaking the news to Oliver that Diggle was following his mother around to try to find more information about the Undertaking. Diggle has informed me of his plan the night before, but I knew Oliver wasn’t going to be thrilled; he still didn’t want to believe his mother was involved with anything to do with Malcolm Merlyn.

“Everything okay?” Oliver asked

“Yeah, all good. Just thinking about everything that I need to do today.” I admitted

“I’m guessing your mother’s house is the one with the cop car in front?” Oliver asked as we turned onto her street.

“That would be the one.” I laughed

Oliver stopped the car out front but made no movement to get out.

“I’ll just...wait here. I don’t imagine Lance would love me dropping in.” Oliver stated

“I’ll be right back.” I laughed as I climbed out of the car.

I unfastened Lexi’s car seat and she bolted to the door, ringing the bell repeatedly, despite me telling her not to.

“Good morning, sunshine!” My mother scooped Lexi up in her arms.

“Hi mom. Thanks again for keeping her.” I stated

“Oh, any time, you know that.” My mother replied as I handed her the bag of Lexi’s favorite toys and a change of clothes, “Would you like to come inside for coffee?”

“I would, but…” I motioned towards the car, “I don’t think Q would really care for Oliver Queen sitting at his kitchen table.”

“I didn’t realize Oliver was with you this morning.” My mother remarked

“He’s helping interview the bodyguards. He knows more about this stuff.” I shrugged

“Well, good luck with the interviews. We’ll be just fine here. Lexi’s going to help me bake some cupcakes.” My mother stated

“Cupcakes!” Lexi shouted

“Have fun. I’ll see you tonight.”

  
“I think half these guys would scare Lexi.” I laughed after meeting all of the possible bodyguards Diggle had selected; Oliver had arranged for the interviews to be held at Verdant before it opened and I was sitting in one of the booths next to Oliver, looking over the resumes of the eight men we had just met with.

“You...might have a point.” Oliver admitted

“These guys are intimidating, Oliver. I mean, I know that’s the point, but we need somebody that Lexi will be comfortable around.” I picked up four of the files, making a stack of definite no’s.

“What about Garrett?” Oliver held up the file.

“He admitted he has no experience with kids, in any context.” I shook my head, grabbing it from him for the discard pile.

“Well, what about Rider?” Oliver asked

“He was the one that said he had two kids of his own, right?” I asked

“Yeah, two girls.” Oliver replied

“He did seem the most...approachable.” I glanced over his file again, “Did you like him? I don’t really know what to be looking for.”

“He’s definitely qualified. He was special forces. Dig served with him in his first tour, says he’d trust him with his life, which says a lot to me.” Oliver remarked

“If he has Diggle’s seal of approval then I say we chose him.” I stated

“Okay. I’ll call him.” Oliver replied

I heard the club door open and turned towards it to see Tommy arrive.

“Hey Tommy.” I hopped up to greet him.

“Hey, I figured you guys would be done by now.” Tommy stated

“We just finished.” I replied

It would be impossible to ignore the tension in the room between the two men.

“So, I hear the club is doing really well.” I tried to break the tension. It failed.

“Yeah.” Tommy shrugged

“Okay, this is getting ridiculous, guys.” I sighed, “You two have been best friends since you were in diapers. You have to talk to each other.”

“We talk every day.” Tommy stated

“No, you snap at each other every day.” I remarked

“You don’t have to fix everyone’s problems, Felicity.” Tommy replied

“Well, you are two of the most important people in my life so this particular problem affects me. Now, I know the last couple of weeks have been hard. Things have been difficult.” That might have been an understatement; ever since the night Tommy found out Oliver was The Hood, things had just snowballed. Lexi and I’s kidnapping had just led to Tommy yelling at Oliver for putting us in danger. Laurel’s work had landed her in danger last week, and I knew it had been a blow to Tommy’s ego to ask Oliver for help.

“What’s your point, Felicity?” Tommy sighed

“Bottom line; what’s the problem?” I asked

“My best friend of over twenty years is a serial killer, excuse me if I am having trouble accepting that.” Tommy snapped

“Haven’t I saved your life like...six times in the last month? Are you just going to ignore the good I’ve done?” Oliver asked

_Completely not helping, Oliver._  
  
“How many people have you killed in the last month?” Tommy retorted

“Okay boys, chill. I know you both better than either of you would care to admit. Tommy, let’s be real; you had no problem with what the Hood was doing until you knew it was Oliver under it. You’re pissed because you he didn’t tell you.” I exclaimed

The dead silence I received was confirmation enough that I was right.

“Oliver, why didn’t you tell Tommy the truth?” I asked

“It wasn’t safe.” Oliver replied

“Why?” I felt like I was a couples’ therapist.

“Knowing who I am makes you a target.” Oliver sighed

“No, actually, I was just as much as a target before I knew. At least now I know I’m a target.” Tommy snapped

“Yeah, and now you’re a target and you have the burdens of knowing and of lying for me.” Oliver stated

“Were you ever going to tell me?” Tommy asked

“No.” Oliver admitted

Tommy went to leave, and I grabbed his arm, stopping him.

“Did you keep it from Tommy because you didn’t trust him?” I asked

“It wasn’t about trust.” Oliver replied

“I wish I believed you.” Tommy sighed, disappearing into the manager’s office.

“Go deal with that, please.” I sighed

Oliver ignored me, heading towards the Arrow cave. I reluctantly trailed behind him.

“We need to work on coming up with a plan for getting into Merlyn Global.” Oliver stated as we descended the staircase.

“You need to fix your relationship with your best friend. We can work on a plan later.” I stated

“Tommy and I will get past this, it just might not happen overnight.” Oliver remarked

I sighed, sitting down at the computer. Oliver started hitting the punching bag.

“Are you sure Laurel isn’t a part of this?” I asked

Oliver faltered in his movements for moment, but didn’t stop.

“Why would Laurel be a part of this?” Oliver replied

“I don’t know. Why have you two been getting lunch together all the time?” I asked

“We’re friends.” Oliver replied

“Really? Because last time I checked, she hated you for a long list of reasons including us.” I remarked

“She invited me to lunch to talk about Tommy. Then we have met a few times since then to talk about the charity event I’m funding for her firm.” Oliver stated

“What about Tommy?” I asked, opting to ignore the rest of this answer.

“She’s worried about him. Said he’s been distant lately and knows we’re barely speaking. I think she’s trying to figure out if those two things are connected.” Oliver replied

“Are they?” I asked

“What? Like we’re fighting because of Laurel? Of course not. Whatever me and Laurel had is gone. She loves Tommy.” Oliver stated

“Yeah, I know that. _I_ know. Does Tommy?” I asked

“You think he thinks there’s something going on?” Oliver turned towards me.

“Oliver, you have to understand that Tommy has always been worried that Laurel is settling for him, while at the same time being afraid that he’s hurting you. I think he’s probably a little concerned, yeah.” I sighed

“What am I supposed to do?” Oliver asked

_I am not your shrink._

“I don’t know, Oliver. Try to assure him you’re over Laurel.” I paused, considering my next words carefully, “But don’t lie to him.”

Oliver didn’t respond, so I went back to typing. I had officially given up on hacking into Merlyn Global, so I focused on another issue; tracing who had tried to have Malcolm killed. Whoever had done it covered their tracks well. I traced it to one account after the next just to find that it traced to yet another. After a few minutes, Oliver left. I didn’t ask where he was headed. I traced the money to another account; the trail finally ended at an offshore account under the name Tempest.

_Come downstairs_. I texted Oliver.

“Oliver, I finally found the company that paid for the hit on Malcolm,” I announced as I heard his footsteps, “I’m still working on finding out who owns it.”

“Tommy just quit.” Oliver stated

I turned around in my desk chair.

“What?” I asked

“I tried to tell him, to assure him that Laurel and me are done. He said that ‘all this’ is too much and that he quit.” Oliver replied

“I...I’m sorry, Oliver.” I sighed

“Just give me a target to punch.” Oliver sighed, “You said you found who tried to kill Malcolm?”  
  
“I will ignore the unhealthy coping mechanism for now,” I turned back to the computer, “I’m gathering information on the company now. It’s called Tempest. Ever heard of it?”

“No.” Oliver replied

I focused on my task, forcing myself not to watch as Oliver started on his salmon ladder.

A few minutes later, I was staring at the screen, a sick feeling in my stomach.

“Oliver.” My voice sounded strange.

“What’s wrong?” Oliver asked, dropping down from the ladder.

“Tempest is a shell company owned by Queen Consolidated.” I stated

“You’re saying that it was somebody at QC that tried to kill Malcolm?” Oliver’s voice was disbelieving.

“No, I’m saying it was your mother. All the paperwork on Tempest is signed by Moira.” I sighed

“My...mom hired somebody to kill Malcolm Merlyn? That...doesn’t make sense. They’re friends. He was my father’s best friend.” Oliver remarked

“I’m sorry, Oliver.” I sighed, “The company has only done two things since it was formed, and one of them was to pay someone to kill Malcolm.”

“What was the other?” Oliver asked

“They bought a warehouse in the Glades.” I replied

I pulled up cameras in the area of the warehouse; it looked old and abandoned.

“Why would my mother buy a warehouse in the Glades?” Oliver asked as he leaned over my shoulder.

“The better question is why does something that looks so abandoned have such a high tech security system yet no cameras?” I asked

“Somebody doesn’t want anybody to see what’s inside.” Oliver stated

“Which means we probably need to.” I remarked

“Can you hack the security so I can get inside?” Oliver asked

“Not from here. That system is top of the line. I’ll have to be there to do it.” I stated

“I’m not taking you in the field, it’s too dangerous.” Oliver stated

“I don’t see a way around it, Oliver.” I sighed

“Fine. We go tonight and we get in and out as fast as possible.” Oliver stated

“I’ll see if my mom can keep Lexi overnight.” I stood up, “But there’s something I need to take care of. I’ll meet you here tonight.”

“Where are you going?” Oliver asked

“To talk to Ray.” I replied

“Good luck.” Oliver mumbled, already turning his attention back to the computer screen.

  
I took a deep breath before knocking on the door of the Penthouse Suite in Starling City’s most expensive hotel. I heard laughter before the door opened; it wasn’t seeing the blonde answer the door that shocked me, it was the sweater she was wearing. Ray’s sweater.

“Felicity! I…” Her eyes looked like a deer in the headlights, “Ray, it’s for you.”

She bolted out of sight as Ray approached the door.

“Felicity. I um...How did you know I was here?” Ray asked

“Charlotte mentioned it…so…” _Well, this is more awkward than I was expecting_.

“Come in.” Ray suggested, motioning me forward.

“So...you and Anna?” I couldn’t stop myself from saying it, “You certainly have a type.”  
  
“Lis, that’s not fair.” Ray sighed

“When?” It wasn’t exactly fair of me to ask; I was in no position to judge, I knew that. I had kissed Oliver when we were still together. I had kissed him the next day.

“There was a kiss at that charity gala you flaked on at the last minute,” _Two months ago,_ “It didn’t go further than that until I was drowning my sorrows at the hotel bar after I left the house.”

It stung more than I expected but I changed the topic.

“I really just came back to talk. Lexi keeps asking when you’re coming home.” I sighed

“We need to talk to her.” Ray sat down at table, picking up a glass that I could only assume was filled with some kind of alcohol.

“I read some book on explaining separation and divorce to preschool aged kids. It wasn’t particularly helpful.” I admitted

Ray reached into briefcase, holding the same book up.

“This one, you mean? They make it sound simple, don’t they?” Ray asked

“She’s not even five. I’m not sure she’s going to fully grasp it either way. I think we should sit down with her together and explain that we’re not going to be living together anymore.” I sighed

“We should wait until you’ve got a new place. I still think you should stay in the house.” Ray stated

“I can’t, Ray. It’s your family’s house and I wouldn’t feel right. I already contacted a realtor.” I replied

Ray finished off his drink before speaking again.

“How are we supposed to explain Oliver to her?” Ray asked

“I don’t know that Oliver ever wants her to know.” I admitted

“I don’t think he’s going to have much of a choice.” Ray opened his laptop, typing a web address in.

**Thea Queen; play date with mystery child** in bold print appeared above a picture of Thea and Roy walking outside a movie theater with Lexi. I leaned over Ray’s shoulder to read it.

_Starling City’s favorite socialite was seen on Thursday catching a movie with boyfriend Roy Harper and a mystery little girl._

“You hadn’t seen it?” Ray asked

“I’ve been busy.” I sighed

Oliver and I had been nearly paranoid about paparazzi when we were with Lexi, but we hadn’t even thought about all the time she spent with Thea.

“It’s only a matter of time until people make the connection. Half the people in the comments are already saying she’s probably Oliver’s kid. It’s hardly breaking news that Oliver slept around, it’s a miracle there isn’t an army of his kids running around.” Ray rolled his eyes. “Sorry. Knee jerk reaction.”

“I know,” He was right, anyways. It was a minor miracle. “I don’t know about Oliver, I guess I’ll talk to him later tonight.”

“Are you two…” Ray stopped mid-sentence, “Nevermind.”

“We’re not.” I sighed, reaching into my bag, grabbing the ring. I sat it on the table in front of Ray.

“I don’t want it back.” Ray stated

“I can’t keep it.” I insisted, “I have to go.”

“If it’s alright with you, maybe Lexi could come visit here.” Ray suggested

“Of course. You can pick her up from my mom’s in the morning if you want.” I stated

“Okay. Have a good night, Felicity.”

I hesitated by the door, debating whether or not to say anything else.

“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry I hurry you. And I really do wish you nothing but happiness.” I didn’t wait for a response.

  
“You drive that thing like a maniac, you’re gonna kill yourself.” I complained as soon I climbed off Oliver’s motorcycle in front of the warehouse purchased by Tempest.

“You sound like my mother.” Oliver remarked

“Yeah, well, on the motorcycle debate, I’m in agreement.” I stated

“Let’s just get this over with, okay? I’m not happy about you being out here.” Oliver sighed

I followed Oliver up the steps to the front of the warehouse, pulling my tablet out of my bag, plugging it into the system.

“This might take a few minutes.” I stated, “This system is really top of the line for a warehouse with no obvious purpose. Do you have any idea what might be inside?”

“No.” Oliver replied

A few minutes later, my tablet pinged.

“Well, I have the passcode.” I held up the tablet; **ROBERT**.

“My mom really is the one behind Tempest.” Oliver sighed, “Stay here. I’m going to check to make sure it’s clear inside.”

I nodded. Oliver stepped inside the warehouse. A few seconds later, he stumbled out, gasping for air.

“Oliver!” I ran over to him, grabbing his shoulder, “Are you hurt? What happened?”

Oliver shook his head, bending over as he struggled to catch his breath. I realized what was wrong; _he’s having a panic attack._

“Oliver, what’s wrong? Talk to me.” I pleaded, “Breathe, Oliver. Breathe. In and out. Just breathe.”

“Gambit.” Oliver managed to get out between gasps. _Gambit? The Queen's Gambit?_

“What, Oliver?” I asked

Oliver pointed at the warehouse. I hesitated to leave him alone but stepped inside the warehouse.

I gasped as I stared at the Queen’s Gambit, or what was left of it, in front of me. The Queen’s Gambit that was supposedly on the ocean floor somewhere in the North China Sea, yet was in a warehouse in Starling City instead.

Oliver came back inside once he collected himself, standing at my side.

“Why would my mother have the wreckage of the Gambit?” Oliver asked

“Oliver...my bigger concern is what the hell happened to this yacht.” I pointed at the hole in the side, “That...looks like an explosion happened.”

“The Gambit going down wasn’t an accident.” Oliver remarked

“I don’t think so.” I stated

“Did...my mother wouldn’t have...no.” The panic was rising in Oliver’s voice again. I instinctively put my hand in his, squeezing it gently.

“We’ll find out what happened, Oliver.” I stated, “Your mother is a lot of things, but she wouldn’t have blown up a yacht with you on it.”

“I wasn’t supposed to be on the yacht. She...didn’t know. It was just supposed to be my father.” Oliver admitted, “Let’s get out of here. I feel like I can’t breathe in here.”

  
“There you two are, where were you?” Diggle asked as soon we walked into the Arrow cave.

“Where the hell have you been all day?” Oliver asked

“You didn’t tell him?” Diggle turned to me.

“It got a little crazy.” I sighed

“Tell me what?” Oliver glanced between me and Diggle.

“I was driving your mother around today. I was trying to get information.” Diggle stated

“Did you find anything?” Oliver asked

“I was expecting more of a fight about this.” Diggle admitted

Oliver sighed, sitting down at the desk.

“What happened?” Diggle asked

“We found out where the money trail ends on who tried to kill Malcolm Merlyn. It was Moira.” I didn’t even realize I had my hands on Oliver’s shoulders until he grabbed my hand, “It was a shell company owned by QC. It has only been used once before to purchase a warehouse in the Glades. We went to check it out.”

“What’d you find?” Diggle asked

“The Queen’s Gambit. What’s left of it, anyway. It was literally split in two. It looks like it was blown up.” I sighed

“What do you mean?” Diggle asked

“Looks like Moira had it salvaged. I don’t understand how she would know where it went down. If she knew, it seems like she would have had people searching the area for Oliver.” I stated

“Unless she was the one that had it sabotaged.” Oliver stated

I wished I had a plausible story for Oliver to explain away Moira’s actions, but it looked terrible.

“Well, this probably isn’t going to make you feel any better. I stepped in as your mother’s driver today and she visited Malcolm Merlyn. I recorded a conversation between them.” Diggle held up a recorder, pressing play.

“You wanted to see me?” Moira’s voice echoed through the recorder.

“You look nervous, Moira.” Malcolm’s voice sounded even colder than in person.

“Do I have a reason to be?” If she was nervous, her voice didn’t give it away.

“We all do. These next few days are critical for the success of the Undertaking.” Oliver’s grip on my hand tightened ever so slightly.

“I’m sure everything will go smoothly.” Moira stated

“It better. And then, in a matter of weeks, our vision of what this city should be will be complete.”

_Weeks? What vision?_ A sense of dread filled my gut.

“And you won't feel a thing, will you?” Oliver’s grip was getting tighter with every word his mother spoke, “Thousands of innocent people will be dead and you will feel nothing.”

“That's not true. I'll feel a sense of accomplishment.” Malcolm stated

_Thousands of innocent people will be dead_. The words played on a loop in my head.

“We have to stop them.” Oliver stood up, “No matter what.”

“First we need to know what the Undertaking actually is.” I stated

“No more wasting time. No more trying dig up information remotely. We’re breaking into Merlyn Global.” Oliver stated

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea how this ended up so long. I was having so much trouble focusing for the past couple of days. I had 90% of this written when I posted the last chapter, and it's taken days to finish it. I'm still not thrilled with how it turned out, but it's done so whatever.


	15. Chapter 15

“Sweetie, you look exhausted.” My mother stated

“I’m fine.” It was an automatic response; I was exhausted. My idea of sleep for the last few days was falling asleep wherever I was working and then jerking awake a few minutes later. Between working on a plan to break into Merlyn Global and moving, I was too busy for sleep.

“I still can’t believe how fast you got into this place.” My mother remarked as she stood with her back to me, staring out at the view of the city, and beyond that, the Starling City Bay.

“Yeah, it was kind of amazing.” It really had happened quickly; from seeing the condo for the first time and move in day, it had been a week. I highly suspected that somehow Oliver was behind how quickly it moved, although I had no idea how.

“You still haven’t told Lexi?” My mother asked

“She’s been with Ray all weekend. We’re telling her tomorrow when he brings her home.” I sighed

The doorbell rang and I looked at the door in confusion; nobody was supposed to be able to get in the building without permission. It had been a major selling point.

“Expecting company?” My mother asked

“No.” I stood up, heading for the door. I eyed the panic button by the door. That had been an insistentence from Oliver; there was one placed in every room, which would immediately alert Oliver to any trouble. I opened the door, finding Oliver on the other side.

“I figured you wouldn’t remember to eat.” Oliver held up a bag of Chinese take out.

“Actually, I did eat. It was several hours ago, but I did in fact eat today.” I laughed

“You’re kind of supposed to eat three meals a day.” Oliver stepped inside, spotting my mother, “Hello Donna.”

“Hi Oliver.” My mother smiled, “I’m glad to see somebody is making sure she eats. Try to convince her to get some sleep, too.”

“I’ll do my best.” Oliver laughed

“Good. I’m going to head out.” My mother grabbed her purse. “You two have a good night.”

 _Could you be any more obvious, mother?_ Her tone was so suggestive, it was ridiculous.

“I’ll see you later.” I waved her out the door.

“This is a really nice place.” Oliver remarked

“Yeah, it’s great. That realtor you recommended was amazing.” I replied, “Did you find a place yet?”

When Oliver had mentioned that he was planning to move out of his mother’s house, I was thrilled to hear he was getting away from that woman.

“I did.” Oliver stated

“Really? Where?” I asked

“It’s pretty close by.” Oliver replied as he sat down on the couch, opening the takeout boxes.

“Have you told Thea?” I asked as I sat down next to him.

“I did. She’s going to move with me. I didn’t want to leave her there with my mother.” Oliver stated

“That’s good.” I remarked

We ate in comfortable silence; I knew Oliver didn’t come over to eat dinner, but I decided it was easier to just wait until he spoke. I finished eating, but Oliver still hadn’t spoken. I went to the kitchen, pouring two glasses of red wine, handing one to Oliver as I sat back down.

“Are you okay, Oliver?” I asked

“My mother and my best friend’s father are plotting to destroy part of this city. I’m pretty sure they killed my father. My best friend is barely speaking to me. I’m not sure ‘Okay’ is something that I’m going to be anytime soon.” Oliver admitted

“I wish there was something I could say to make you feel better, but if there is anything...I don’t know what it’d be.” I sighed

“This whole thing has really made some things really clear.” Oliver exclaimed

“Like what?” I asked

“I came home for my family and this isn’t what I was expecting. My mother isn’t who I thought she was. But she isn’t my only family. I have Thea. I…” Oliver sighed, “I have Lexi. She’s my daughter. I know it’s not going to be easy but I want to be a part of her life. I want to be her father.”

“I’m very happy to hear that. She’s already crazy about you, Oliver. You can do this.” I stated

“I don’t want to let her down.” Oliver admitted

“You just have to be there. You do your best. That’s any of us can do.” I remarked

The doorbell rang again; _what happened to having a door man?_

“That’s Diggle.” Oliver remarked before standing up. “We have a plan.”

“Hey Diggle,” I greeted him after Oliver let him in, “So we have a game plan?”

“We do.” Diggle replied

“Good. We have to stop them.” I stated

  
“You look absolutely terrible, Lis. Are you even sleeping?” Ray’s words just annoyed me.

“Thanks for pointing that I look like crap out.” I snapped; I knew I looked like crap. I was barely sleeping and I was on edge. The Undertaking was an imminent threat, but Oliver’s plans to uncover them weren’t exactly safe, either.

Ray held his hands up as in surrender.

“I’m just worried about you. Are you sure you want to talk to Lexi now?” Ray asked

“We have to tell her eventually, Ray. It might as well be now.” I sighed

“Okay.” Ray agreed, “I’ll go get her.”

It felt strange to be here in Ray’s home; it felt even stranger to realize that you could look around and never know. Virtually nothing in the house had changed, except for the closet in the master bedroom’s closet; It was now half empty.

“Daddy said you wanted to talk to me?” Lexi came down the stairs, Ray trailing behind her, “Am I in trouble?”

“No, sweetie, not at all.” I smiled at her as she sat down on the couch.

“Alexandra, you know how much we both love you, right?” I sat down next to her, brushing a strand of hair out of her face.

“Yes.” Lexi replied

“We need you to know that no matter what happens, we’re always going to love you.” Ray stated

“Okay.”

I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself.

“Your mom and I, we’re not going to live together anymore.” Ray explained

“Why?” Lexi didn’t sound confused or hurt, but curious.

“We love each other, but we decided that we would be happier living apart.”

_Don’t cry, Felicity._

“Okay. I want you both to be happy.” Lexi replied, “I’ll still have my bedroom, right?”

“Of course. You’ll have a bedroom at our new apartment too.” I remarked

“Okay.” Lexi repeated, “Can I go play now?”

“Actually, you’re going to come see your new bedroom.” I exclaimed  
  
“Okay!” Lexi hopped off the couch.

“That was...too easy.” I remarked after Lexi headed upstairs to get her backpack.

“I think we should just be thankful there were no tears involved. Lexi’s never been a normal kid, she’s got the IQ higher than most of the adult population.” Ray stated, “She handles things well, that might make things easier when she finds out about Oliver.”

“About that...he wants to tell her.” I stated

“I kind of figured.” Ray replied

“We’re going to wait until things settle a bit.” _And we stop the Undertaking_ , “You know you’re still her dad.”

“I know. It’s the modern world, she won’t have the most traditional family.” Ray shrugged

  
“Thank you for coming to watch her, Caitlin.” I hugged her as soon as I opened the door.

“No problem. I feel like I haven’t seen either of you in forever anyways.” Caitlin stated

“I know. And I promise when I get home, it’s going to be time for wine and gossip.” I remarked

“It seems like we have plenty to gossip about.” Caitlin laughed

“You have no idea,” I laughed as I picked up my black coat, “I’ll be back in a few hours. She’s already in her PJs watching Brave, should be out in no time.”

My new place was closer to Verdant than the old house, and I was walking into the empty Arrow cave ten minutes later. I glanced at the clock; they should have been back by now if everything went as planned. I hadn’t been behind the idea of Diggle dressing up as the Hood and kidnapping Oliver and Moira to find out what she knew. It was risky, and the last time The Hood had faces Moira Queen, I had found him bleeding in the backseat of my car.

Time passed slowly; there was probably something constructive I could have been doing but instead I sat at the desk, tapping my fingers until the door finally opened again, revealing a bloody Oliver and a hooded Diggle.

“Oh, my God.” I gasped, “You said you were gonna pull your punches.”

I knew I sounded like a mother scolding him, but I didn’t care.

“I did.” Diggle exclaimed

“Let me get you an ice pack for...everything.” I sighed

“I'm fine.” Oliver’s statement would have been more effective if he didn’t wince when I held the ice pack to his cheek.

“I need you to dig up everything you can on Unidac Industries.” Oliver stated

“Well, we know Queen Consolidated acquired them seven months ago. That’s when you first came to me for help.” I smiled

“I need information about what I don't know.” Oliver remarked

I sat down at the computer, typing away.

“Unidac is a small research and development technology company that specializes in seismic infringement.” _Seismic Infringement. Earthquakes._ “That’s it. That’s his plan. Merlyn plans on leveling the Glades with a device that triggers a manmade earthquake.”

“You'll have a conversation with Merlyn.” Diggle stated

“I guarantee that if he has my mother involved in this, it’s not just the two of them. It’s too risky. Even if I take Merlyn out, someone else can set off the device.” Oliver remarked

“We need to find it.” I stated

“Then Merlyn can get his.” Oliver stated

“So...on to plan B?” I asked

“Yeah, time for plan B.” Oliver replied

  
_This was a bad idea. I am not a badass._ My heart was racing as I walked up to the Merlyn Global welcome desk. I felt ridiculous in my borrowed Big Belly Burger uniform; thankfully Carly hadn’t asked any questions about why Diggle needed to borrow it for a friend. Oliver was walking a few feet behind me.

“Hi. Oliver Queen. I have an 11:30 with Tommy Merlyn.”

I didn’t even have to see Oliver’s face to know he was flashing his most charming smile at the receptionist.

“You can do on up.” She replied quickly.

“I have a super deluxe Big Belly Buster for a Mr. Andrews. I think he's in security.” I think my voice sounded calm enough.

“Just breathe, Lis.” Oliver’s voice came over my earpiece.

“One second.” She picked the phone up, clicking the button for security. “Yes, there’s a delivery here from Big Belly Burger. Okay. You can go.”

I smiled at the receptionist before heading towards the elevator, finding Oliver waiting by the door. We stepped on the elevator together, before we could close the door, a man in a suit frantically raced towards it.

“Hold that!” He shouted

I glanced at Oliver; he looked completely calm.

“Where you heading, sweetie?” The man asked

“Nineteenth floor.” I resisted the urge to cringe at a strange, sweaty man calling me sweetie.

“Too bad, I'm going to 13th.” Oliver subtly bumped into the man, sending his papers flying, “Woah, damn it!”

As soon as he stepped out the elevator to gather his papers, Oliver pressed the ‘close doors’ button, leaving us alone.

“Are you okay?” Oliver asked

“I’m committing a few felonies today, but other than that, great.” I replied

“Mainframe's on 25, guys. This is as close as I can get you.” Diggle’s voice came over the earpiece.

Oliver quickly popped open the panel on the top of the elevator, effortlessly pulling himself up on top of the elevator car. He reached down to grab my hand, pulling me up like I weighed nothing. I clutched my tablet to my chest as I glanced down at the twenty plus floors below us.

“Don't look down.” Oliver warned

“Too late.” I mumbled “I should mention I'm afraid of heights, which I just learned.” Was it the height or the nerves making me nauseous? I quickly decided it was both.

“Felicity. Hold onto me tight.” Oliver instructed

“I imagined you saying that under different circumstances.” _Way to go, Felicity_. Oliver’s head jerked towards me, an eyebrow raised.  “Very platonic circumstances.”

“Ready?” Oliver asked

_Ready to swing from a cord across an elevator shaft above twenty five floor drop?_

“Yeah.” I tried to sound confident. It didn’t work. I closed my eyes, not wanting to see what was about to happen. I didn’t open them again until I felt the ground firmly under my feet, Oliver’s hands on my shoulder.

“You all right?” Oliver asked

“I'm fine. This is just my about-to-hack face. I always oh, look like this right before I, you know, hack.” I was too anxious to care how ridiculous I sounded.

“Security patrol's on a 10-minute cycle. I'll have my meeting with Tommy and be back in nine.” Oliver promised

“Okay.” I nodded

“Okay.” Oliver left me alone to hack the Merlyn Global mainframe. I quickly plugged my tablet it, starting up the pre-loaded software.

“You all good?” Diggle asked

“I’m good.” I replied

I zoned out as I worked, until Diggle’s alarmed voice spoke up.

“Guys, you got trouble.”

“What?” Oliver asked

“Felicity's about to have some company.” Diggle stated

“I'm not there yet on the download.” I glanced at my timer; no, we’re supposed to have another three minutes.

“Hold tight. I am on my way.” Oliver replied

I finished my download, quickly unplugging my tablet.

“She's gonna get made, Oliver.“

Oliver didn’t respond.

“Oliver, she's in trouble.” Diggle sighed, “Hang tight, Felicity.”

“Hey! What are you doing here?” A guard asked

“This is a restricted area. Let's see some ID.” The other guard asked

“ID? Uh..” I was frozen; one of the guards grabbed me by the arm, leading me out of the room.  
  
“There you are! Thanks a lot, man, this one snuck past security.” I had never been so relieved to see John Diggle. “One of Merlyn junior's bimbos. Pissed he never called her back.”

I resisted the urge to laugh, but it was a very believable cover story.

“Copy that. I read the tabloids.” The guard let go of my arm.

“Yeah. Thanks again.” Diggle grabbed my arm, “Let's go, Barbie. Your new last name ain't gonna be Merlyn.”

“But I love him. He's my man.” I laughed after we were out of the guard’s earshot. “You're my knight in shining armor.”

Diggle rode down to the main floor with me; I quickly spotted Oliver in conversation with Malcolm. I was relieved that Merlyn wasn’t facing me, if he had spotted me, it was game over.

“Get to the car.” Diggle instructed before gently pushing me towards the door.

  
“I know it’s shallow, but I must admit I find it flattering that I could pass as one of Tommy’s bimbos. They’re always so pretty.” I laughed as we sat down in the Arrow cave.

“Did you get what you needed?” Oliver asked

“I downloaded a complete copy of their mainframe.” I announced, “In addition to the download I also took the liberty of uploading a Trojan to Merlyn's system. Figured it might come in handy.”

“That's smart.” Oliver replied

“If Merlyn thinks he's been compromised, it'll help if we know.” I remarked

“Can you locate the seismic device?” Oliver asked

“I'm working on it. But there's at least a teraflop of data to go through.” I answered

Oliver nodded, but his mind seemed to be far away.

“You all right?” I asked

“My father, he told me that he failed the city. Asked me to right his wrongs, but I never knew what he meant until now. It's the Undertaking. I promised myself that when I crossed all these names off the list, I'd be done but taking down these people, it doesn't honor him. I was just treating the symptoms while the disease festered. I stop the Undertaking, I wipe out the disease.” Oliver exclaimed

“What are you saying, Oliver?” Diggle asked

“Merlyn's plan is what I returned from the island to stop.” Oliver stated

“You would hang up the Hood?” I asked

Oliver glanced at Diggle, who proceeded to go upstairs, leaving us alone.

“I could leave this behind me. I could live the life I want.” Oliver was standing right next to me, but I was still surprised when he grabbed my hand. “I could be a proper father. It would be safe to be seen in public with my own child. I could have a life.”

“So, after this is all over, you’re done?” I asked  
  
“I know we weren’t a good pair back in the day and we discussed not wanting to repeat our mistakes.” Oliver stated

“Yeah…” I wondered where he was going with this.

“I’m not the same person I was back then, and when this is all over, I was wondering if we could try to start over, maybe on a proper date.” Oliver looked so nervous; the same man that fearlessly fought bad guys night after night, risking his life, was nervous about asking me on a date.

“I would love to.” I smiled, squeezing his hand.

“It’s a date.” Oliver leaned down, kissing my cheek.

  
It took four hours to find the information we needed.

“I found the device.” I announced, “Merlyn's keeping it at a warehouse his company owns in the Glades.”

“Good.” Oliver turned towards Diggle, “We’ll coordinate an attack. You take the device, I'll take Merlyn. Got a location on Malcolm?”

“Yeah. Merlyn's logged on to his computer from his office.” I stated  
  
“Let’s go.” Oliver grabbed his bow.

“Now? No planning?” Running off to confront a psychopath without a plan didn’t sound like the best plan. _Or a plan at all._

“I want this over.” Oliver stated

“Please be safe!” I shouted after them as they left.

A few minutes of nervous pacing later, I decided that I needed to work off the energy. There was a rarely used treadmill in the corner, so I quickly changed into the black and pink work out clothes I had stashed in one of the desk drawers. I left my earpiece on as I started running.

“Malcolm Merlyn, you have failed this city.” It was the first thing I had heard come over the earpiece since he left, other than the occasional noise picked up as he sped through traffic on the motorcycle. I couldn’t hear Malcolm’s response.

“The Undertaking. It ends now.” Oliver’s voice boomed.

“Oliver, the device it's gone.” Diggle’s voice caused me to stop my run.

“Where's the device?” Oliver asked

“Safe.” Oliver must have moved closer because now I could hear Malcolm crystal clear. “I don't know how you got that Trojan onto my system but it prompted me to take precautions. There is nothing you can do to stop what is about to happen. And you shouldn't. This city needs what is about to happen in order to survive. The people who are destroying it from the inside need to be erased from the map.”

_What is it with super villains and speeches?_

“Fine. Let's start with you.” Oliver sounded furious.

“Ironic, isn't it? A few months ago, you saved my life. And now you're here trying to kill me. You should make up your mind.” Leave to Malcolm Merlyn to be an asshole even he mostly had an arrow aimed at his heart.

“Done.” Oliver snapped

Hearing the sounds of the fight increased my heart rate and stress level exponentially.

“Diggle, go back up Oliver!” I exclaimed

“Already on my way.” Diggle stated

It was a few moments later that I heard Malcolm’s voice again.

“Oliver.” He sounded shocked and horrified. I was officially panicked.

“Diggle!” I shouted  
  
Then Oliver’s line went dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this story is winding down and I think that this will be the first multi chapter fic that I actually finish. Go me. I have most of the next chapter written, so I hope to have it up tomorrow night. I had a lot of free time to write sitting in the hospital waiting room while my sister was in labor. I’m now much closer to finishing this story and a proud auntie to a baby girl. 
> 
> Also, I’m about to post a scene from Oliver’s POV in the companion series!


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There’s gonna be a long ass note but I’m just saying this quickly; thank you all for the support!

“Felicity!” Tommy’s infuriated voice was not what I was expecting to hear. I spun towards the entrance.

“Tommy! What’s wrong?” I asked

“I was real surprised to learn that security had to escort one of my ‘bimbos’ that snuck into MG off the grounds, especially since I haven’t slept with anybody other than Laurel in over a year. My curiosity was peaked enough to look up the footage,” Tommy shoved a tablet towards me, a shot of me being dragged away by Diggle, “What the hell are you guys doing?”

“Tommy, it’s a long story.” I sighed, “And I don’t really have time.”

Oliver’s line had gone dead eight hours ago. There had been no trace of Oliver by the time Diggle had reached MG or any sign of him since. I turned my attention back to my keyboard.

“You’re kind of testing the limits of our friendship here, Lis. You’ve committed multiple crimes by breaking into Merlyn Global. I won’t turn you in because you’re my best friend but I deserve some god damn answers.” Tommy snapped

“And I’ll give them to you, but not now.” I sighed

“Why not now?” Tommy demanded

“Oliver is missing! He has been for eight hours with no sign of him and I have really good reason to believe he’s in mortal danger if he isn’t already dead and while you may hate him now, I love him and I’m a little too busy trying to find him to deal with you right now.” I snapped

“Well, I’m glad to know where your loyalties lie.” Tommy left. Diggle arrived a few minutes later.

“Felicity, you should go home. Catch a few hours of sleep, hug your daughter.” Diggle stated

“I’ll sleep when we find Oliver.” I replied

“You’re not going to be any use here if you crash, Felicity.” Diggle stated

“Fine,” I grabbed my bag, “I’ll be back in a few hours.”

  
“Mom? Lexi? I’m home.” I announced as I walked into the condo I had barely spent any time in for the past few days.

“Ray already came by to pick Lexi up.” Quentin was standing by the counter, “We need to talk, Felicity.”

“About?” I asked

“I know you’ve been trying to hack into Merlyn Global.” Quentin stated

“What?” I would have been panicking, but my stress level was already so high, nothing could phase me.

“Merlyn Global came up in an investigation. The IT department was digging around and traced a hack back to you.” Quentin explained

“I…” I hesitated

“You're not exactly a hardened criminal, Felicity.” Quentin remarked

“No, I'm not any kind of criminal.” Technically I had lost count of how many crimes I had committed in recent months, but it was for a good cause.

“What do you call computer hacking?” Quentin asked

“A hobby? That I do not engage in.” I lied

“Hey, I got a whole mess of gobbledygook I don't understand but it says otherwise. If you were anybody else, we’d be having this discussion in an interrogation room instead of your kitchen. I know you, Felicity, you aren’t hacking to steal information.”

I didn’t respond.

“I had my tech guy scrub through your ISP. You used it to hack into Blackhawk Squad Security, research arrows shipped to a company called Sagittarius and to analyze a water sample to tie back to a Vertigo drug lab.” Quentin sighed, “These are all cases involving The Hood. Tell me, Felicity. What am I thinking?”

“I…can’t tell you what you’re thinking.” _Smooth, Felicity_.

“I’m thinking that you are working with the Hood. Now, I’m wondering why. Because I know you wouldn’t involve yourself with somebody like that for no reason. My guess is you know him. Maybe even have a child with him.” Quentin remarked

“Please, Quentin. I’m begging you. This is important. The city’s in danger. Merlyn plans to level the Glades with a manmade earthquake using technology from Unidac Industries.” I wasn’t sure Oliver would be thrilled with me telling Quentin, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

“What?” Quentin laughed

“I don't know Merlyn's timetable, but it’s soon. You need to evacuate the Glades immediately. Get as many people to safety as you can. Whatever you think of me, of him, Q, please believe this. I’m sending Lexi out of town. We need to get as many people out of the Glades as we can.” I exclaimed

“Do you understand how crazy that sounds, Felicity?” Quentin asked

“Yes, but believe me, it’s all true.” I stated

Quentin sighed.  
  
“I’ll do my best to get my bosses to believe it, but don’t hold your breath on the cops evacuating the Glades.” Quentin stated

Quentin headed for the door.

“You know I used to think the vigilante was a criminal too but it seems to me whoever he is, he's willing to sacrifice to help the people of this city. Kind of makes him a hero. Doesn't it?” I asked

Quentin sighed as he left. A few seconds later, my phone rang, Diggle’s name flashing across the screen.

“Felicity, I got him.” Diggle stated

“Thank God. Is he okay?” I asked

“Mostly.” Diggle replied

“I have to take care of one thing and then I’ll be there.” I stated

  
I used my key to get into the house.

“Ray?” I called out.

“Lis?” Ray appeared out of the kitchen.

“This is going to sound insane, but I need you to trust me on something, okay?” I asked

“Okay…” Ray replied

“You have to leave. You have to take Lexi and get out of Starling for a few days.” I stated

“What? Why?” Ray asked

“Please, just trust me. It’s not safe. I’ll either be able to explain it you myself later or you’ll understand, but I need you to go. Get on your family’s jet and get away. Take Lexi, take Anna, take Lottie, get everybody you can.” I begged

“Felicity, what’s going on?” Ray grabbed my shoulders.

“I need you to trust me. I need you and Lexi to be safe. Please.” I pleaded

“Safe from what?” Ray asked

“There’s going to be an attack on Starling. I can’t tell you how I know.” I stated

“Then you need to go too.” Ray stated

“I’m going to get out, I promise. I just need to do a few things first.” Will I get out? I couldn’t be sure.

“How will you get out?” Ray asked

“I’ll be with the Queen family, I’ll be fine.” I stated

“Fine, I’ll take Lexi. We’ll go to the house in Coast City.” Ray stated

“Thank you. I have to go. Please tell Lexi I love her. Hurry and get out as fast as you can.” I hugged him quickly.

  
“Ray’s taking Lexi to Coast City. Just in case.” I announced as I arrived at the Arrow cave.

“Good.” Oliver replied

“We have to find this device.” Diggle stated

“I’ll go through the files, see if I can find anything.” I replied

“Oliver!” I sighed at the sound of Tommy’s voice; not now. “What the hell is going on? Laurel got a call saying Quentin wants her to get out of the city based on something Felicity said.”

“Something's happening and it involves your father.” Oliver stated  
  
“Keep my father out of this.” Tommy snapped

“Our fathers. They aren't the men we thought they were. They made a plan together to destroy the Glades.” Oliver stated  
  
“Do you have any idea what you sound like right now?” Tommy asked

“Your father's gonna do it. Because he thinks it will avenge your mother's death.” Oliver explained  
  
“Do not talk about my mother.” Tommy snapped  
  
“The difference between us, Tommy, is that I didn't find out the truth about my father until it was too late. But you've always known deep down the man he is.” Oliver remarked

“I wish you would have died on that island.” Tommy stormed off. Oliver looked like he had been slapped by Tommy’s words.

“Well,” Diggle broke the silence a few moments later, “That was harsh but we don’t have time for this. This symbol is the map of the old subway tunnel system.” Diggle held up the book of names.

“Yeah, that’s what got us thinking the Undertaking is connected to the Glades.” Oliver remarked

“What if it's more specific?” Diggle asked

“What do you mean?” Oliver asked, but I understood Diggle’s meaning.

“If I had a machine that could trigger an earthquake in an otherwise geologically stable area, where would I position it?” Diggle asked as I rushed to pull up the abandoned subway maps.

“Underground.” Oliver replied

“This is a U.S geological survey of the tectonic plates running underneath Starling City.” I pointed at a map, “This red line here is a known fault that runs right below the Glades. About a mile long.” I held up the book up next to the map.

“Fault runs under the old 10th Street subway.” Oliver stated

“Dollars to doughnuts, the seismic device is somewhere along there.” I remarked

“I know where it is.” Before Oliver could continue, his phone rang. He answered it on speaker.

“Now is not a good time, Thea.” Oliver sighed

“Yeah, understate much? Mom has a whole bunch of reporters here. She's holding a press conference or something.” Thea sounded confused.

“What channel?” Oliver asked as Diggle and I shared a surprised look.

“It looks like all of them.” Thea replied

“Felicity, pull up the local news, please?” Oliver asked

I quickly pulled the local news station up on the computer screen, just in time to see Moira Queen standing in her living room, surrounded by cameras.

“My name is Moira Dearden Queen. I am the acting CEO of Queen Consolidated. And God forgive me, I have failed this city.” I glanced at Oliver to see his reaction to his mother’s words, but he kept his expression blank. “For the past five years, under the threat for my life and the lives of my family I have been complicit in an undertaking with one horrible purpose. To destroy the Glades and everyone in it.” The crowd collectively gasped, “I realize now that my family's safety will mean nothing if I let this dreadful act occur. But you need to know that the architect of this nightmare is Malcolm Merlyn.” Again, more gasping and shouting from the crowd. “Yes, and I have proof that he has killed dozens in pursuit of this madness. Adam Hunt, Frank Chen and my husband Robert.” That was the first time Oliver had shown any emotion, but he masked it quickly. “Please. If you reside in the Glades, you need to get out now. Your lives and the lives of your children depend on it. Please.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can I just take a second to pat myself on the back for how quick I updated this? I’ve been writing like crazy and I almost have this story finished. Expect an update every day or two until it’s finished. Now...to the next topic!
> 
> Thank you all for your comments, it means so much to me! Somebody even sent me a message on tumblr to talk about it and that absolutely made my day (if anybody wants to hit me up on tumblr, either about the story or just to say hi, my tumblr is atiredfangirl). 
> 
> Final topic: I already have another story in the works, I’ll probably post the first chapter before the final of this one, so I can shamelessly promote it. But, it will not be posted on this account. I recently legally changed my name, so I decided to create a new account. So after this story’s completion, you’ll be able to find me on here as PhoenixAD. 
> 
> Hope everybody has a great weekend! PREMIERE WEEK COMING UP WE SURVIVED HIATUS!!


	17. Chapter 17

In the minutes that followed his mother’s press conference and Thea’s following frantic call informing Oliver that their mother had been arrested, Oliver suited up in silence.

“Oliver, I'm sorry about your mom.” I sighed

“Don't be. She gave those people a chance.” Oliver grabbed a bow out of a case.

“I thought Merlyn broke your bow.” I remarked

“I have another.” Oliver replied

“I was going over the device schematics. The device can be set for a timed detonation, or remote activated by mobile transmitter.” I stated

“Something Merlyn could have on him.” Oliver remarked

“If we can just get our hands on this transmitter, we don't need to track down the device.” Diggle stated

“It's too big an if.” Oliver sighed, “I need you in the subway. Find the device, disarm it.”

“So you can take on Merlyn by yourself?” Diggle asked

“I have to.” Oliver stated

“He'll kill you, Oliver.” I grabbed his hand.

“I know. He's beaten me twice and I don't know how to stop him.” Oliver sighed

I was ready to object but Diggle did it before I could.

“Okay. How about this time, you bring along something you didn't have the last time you two fought. Me.” Diggle stated

“I can't let you.” Oliver replied

“I can't let you do this by yourself, man. Oliver, you are not alone, not since you brought me into this.” Diggle insisted

“Us into this.” I added

“Besides, Army regulations. A soldier never lets a brother go into battle alone.” Diggle stated

“I'm out of bows.” Oliver commented

“I got my gun.” Diggle replied

“I guess it's up to me to do the dismantling.” I stood up.

“This whole area is ground zero. I want you out of here.” Oliver stated

“If you're not leaving, I'm not leaving.” I stated

“You have a daughter to think about, Felicity. She needs you.” Oliver replied

“She needs you too, Oliver. Besides, if I don't deactivate the device, who will?” I asked

Oliver sighed, grabbing his phone. He dialed a number and hit speaker.

“Felicity was right.” Quentin stated

“She usually is. I need your help.” Oliver exclaimed

“Yeah? How can I help?” Quentin asked

“I know where Merlyn is keeping the device. It's in an abandoned subway station near Pap Street.” Oliver replied

“How do you know?” Quentin asked

“That's where his wife was murdered. I need someone I can trust to deactivate the device. We have a mutual friend that I think could talk you through it.” Oliver explained

“She says you care about the people of this city, that it needs you.” Quentin remarked

“Right now, it needs you.” Oliver stated

  
I was sitting at the desk, fighting off the nausea from anxiety. I had my earpiece in, connecting me to Oliver and Diggle, and the phone on speaker with Quentin.

“Your mother just texted me, Ray got them all out. They’re halfway to Coast City.” Quentin stated

“Good.” I replied

“You should be with them.” Quentin remarked

I sighed.

“I’ll be fine.” I stated

“So I’m thinking it’s for the best that your mother never knows about any of this.” Quentin stated

“Probably,” I sighed, “You found it yet, Quentin?”

“I'm not sure what I'm looking for.” Quentin replied

“You want me to describe it?” I asked

“No, I got it. Hard to miss now that I see it.” Quentin remarked

“You should see something that looks like a circuit board. Pull it out. Do you see a timer?” I asked

“Seven minutes.” Quentin replied

“Okay. Well, the good news is this is going to be a paperweight in three.” I sounded calmer than I felt.

Talking Quentin through disarming was going well until the ‘oh no’ came.

“Oh my God. No, no, no. There must be an anti-tamper safeguard.” Quentin sounded as panicked as I felt.

“Hold on. I’m going to find a way to override it.” I typed as fast as possible.

“There's not enough time.” Quentin replied

“Just hold on.” I stated

“Not enough time.” I heard Quentin on his personal phone, “Laurel...Save it, kiddo, we both know you're there. You got to get out of the Glades right now. Right now, Laurel.” Oh no. Laurel’s in the Glades. “I’m sorry, but I'm not gonna make it. You have to promise me one thing, you’re not gonna die with me. You have to go on with your life. Promise me, Laurel. Promise me.”

I forced myself to keep working instead of breaking down.

“I love you, honey. Now and forever. I love you.”

I knew time was running out, which made me type even faster.

“Quentin? I need you to listen to me very carefully.” I stated

  
I let out a sigh of relief as I leaned back in the desk chair; _we did it. We actually did it._

“Oliver, Lance did it. The machine is down.” _With a whole twenty seconds left on the timer._

“It's over.” Oliver shouted

“If I've learned anything as a successful businessman, it's redundancy.” I could Malcolm’s cocky voice in the background. I sat straight up at his words.

“Felicity, there's another device. There's two of them.” Oliver’s voice was frantic.

”Quentin, get out! Now!“ I shouted as I felt the ground start to shake.

“What the hell is happening? I turned the damn thing off.” Quentin exclaimed as I ducked under the desk.

“Merlyn had a second device.” There were the tears I had been holding back for days. It felt like the ground shook for hours, as things crashed around me. When the movement finally stopped, I checked the clock. A minute and a half had passed.

“Laurel. She's at CNRI.” Quentin sounded winded.

My computer had miraculously survived, despite the debris around it.

“Oliver?” I hadn’t heard anything on the line since the shaking started.

“Felicity! Are you okay?” Oliver asked

“Yeah. The damage seems to be contained on the east side, past Wells Street. Oliver, Laurel was at CNRI.” I wiped at my eyes.

“Go, Oliver. I’ll be fine.” Diggle stated

  
“Q, is Laurel okay?” I asked as soon as I answered his call.

“Felicity, Laurel’s fine. Tommy’s still inside. She says he’s pinned under debris.” Quentin stated

“Oliver! Tommy’s in trouble, he went after Laurel.” I grabbed my tablet, quickly but carefully moving around the debris to get out of the club. It was only a few blocks to Laurel’s office, I could make it on foot. Driving was not an option.

I reached the office building, spotting Laurel crying in her father’s arms.

“The Hood just arrived.” Quentin informed me.

“Tommy!” I heard Oliver’s frantic voice.

“Get it off.” Tommy sounded pained; _no, no, no._

“Okay. You're gonna be fine.” Oliver replied

“Another thing, unh, we've got to disagree on.”

Quentin wrapped an arm around me, another around Laurel.

“Is...ls Laurel safe? Is Laurel safe?” Tommy asked, “I tried to get her out of here.”

“Yeah, yeah, you did. You saved her. All right, let me get you out of here. You're gonna be fine.” Oliver’s voice didn’t sound nearly as sure as his words.

“Oliver. I'm sorry.” Tommy sounded so tired.

“No. Don't apologize.” Oliver insisted

“I was angry. And I was jealous. I...I am my father.” _No, no, you are not._

“No. No, you're not.” Oliver replied

“Did...Did you kill him?” Tommy asked

“Yes.” Oliver answered

“Good.”

“Open your eyes, Tommy. Stay with me.” I knew Oliver was crying. “I can’t lose anybody else.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I'm torn. I could probably get another three chapters out of this, although, I'm leaning more towards two. We'll see. I'm so sad this is coming to an end, I've had so much fun writing this. But i'm excited for what I'm working on next. 
> 
> As always, thoughts and comments are always appreciated:) especially right now. It's been a tough few days. My new niece is in the NICU, although she's on the mend now, it was scary for a couple days. Now I'm sick because there are multiple fires burning in my town and the wind is terrible and my asthma is currently at an all time worst. Ugh. 
> 
> So feel free to cheer me up with some comments :)


	18. Chapter 18

If it wasn’t for Quentin’s grip on me, I know I would have collapsed. I was barely able to breathe through my sobs.

“Tommy!” Laurel suddenly shouted

I unburied my head from my step-father’s shoulder to see Oliver carrying Tommy out. _So much blood._

“He’s barely breathing. He’s lost a lot of blood. He needs to get to the hospital, now.” His voice was disguised.

“The ambulance will take too long. Get him in the back of my car.” Quentin stated

Oliver loaded Tommy into the backseat of Quentin’s police cruiser, Laurel climbed in the back with him.

“I’ll meet you at the hospital.” Oliver whispered before I climbed in the front with Quentin.

Quentin sped through the streets and we made it to the hospital in minutes.

“I’ll go get help.” The car hadn’t even come to a complete stop when I hopped out. I raced inside the ER, it was packed with people.

“Please help. My friend is barely breathing. He’s lost a lot of blood.” The women behind the desk looked at each other then me.

“Where is he?” One of the women asked

“A police car out front. Please hurry.” I replied

The women picked up the phone.

“We have a code red outside the entrance in a police car.”

I watched as a handful a people rushed outside.

“Are you hurt?” The woman asked

I shook my head. They rolled Tommy in on a stretcher.

“Miss, you’re going to have to step back. We have to take him to the O.R. right now.” The man in a blood stained white coat told Laurel.

“Please save him.” Laurel cried as Quentin grabbed her, holding her back so the doctors could wheel him away.

It was a madhouse inside the emergency room. I sat next to Laurel in uncomfortable metal chairs, watching the chaos around us.

“I’m going to find something for you two to drink.” Quentin stated before disappearing into the crowds.

“How did you know this was going to happen before Moira told everybody?” Laurel asked

“Uh, Oliver…found out about it. He told me.” That wasn’t fully a lie.

“Laurel! Felicity! I got here as soon as I could. Is he okay?” Oliver was frantic.

“They’re operating on him now.” I replied

I motioned for him to sit down in the seat vacant next to me, but he didn’t move to sit.

“This is all my fault. If I hadn’t gone to the office, if I had just listened to my father..” Laurel was sobbing again.

“This is Malcolm Merlyn’s fault.” I stated

“Tommy wouldn’t want you blaming yourself.” Oliver remarked

“He has to survive...he has to.” Laurel leaned on me, “Lexi got out, right?”

“Ray took her to Coast City.” _I should probably call them and let them know I’m okay._ I pulled my phone out of my pocket, finding no signal.

“Lines are down on this entire side of the city.” Oliver stated

“Great.” I sighed

“Is anybody here with Thomas Merlyn?” A man shouted over the noise of the crowd.

“We are!” Laurel hopped up.

“Is anybody family?” He asked

“He doesn’t have any family. I’m his girlfriend.” Laurel replied

“Okay, well. Good enough. I need you to sign these waivers allowing us to do everything possible to save him.” He handed her the papers.

“How is he?” Laurel asked

“He’s critical. The debris caused a lot of damage. We’re doing everything we can.” He took the signed papers from Laurel, and handed her a clear bag. “These are his personal belongings on him.”

He left and Laurel sat back down.

“I found coffee and this girl wandering around.” Quentin announced as he came back into view with two coffees in hand. Charlotte was behind him, frantic.

“Charlotte! You’re supposed to be in Coast City!” I stated

“He...he wouldn’t get on the plane…Lexi and your mom went...I wasn’t going to leave without him.” Charlotte was nearly hyperventilating.

“Charlotte,” I grabbed her shoulders, “Breathe and tell me what is happening.”

“Ray stayed. He said he had to help. I...wouldn’t go. He made me stay at my grandmother’s house. It’s as far away from the Glades as he could get me. But I couldn’t stop him. He went to help evacuate.” Charlotte explained, “But now I can’t get ahold of him and I’m freaking out.”

“The phone lines are down. We’ll find him, okay? Breathe.” I looked towards Quentin, “Are the radios still working? Can you have your guys keep their eyes open for him?”

“Yeah, the car radio works. I’ll go tell them.” Quentin replied

“I’m going to make sure he hasn’t been checked in.” I was fairly sure my body could not handle any more stress.

I walked over to the receptionist desk again.

“Is there any way you can check to see if somebody’s been checked in?” I asked

“The computers are down, I’m sorry. I can ask around. Who are you looking for?” The woman behind the desk smiled reassuringly.

“Ray Palmer.” I replied

“Doctor Palmer? He brought a young man in early, but he left. He saved the guy’s life.” The woman stated

“But he was okay?” I asked

“Appeared to be.” She replied

_One less thing to be panicked about_.

“He’s okay, Charlotte. He brought somebody in earlier but went back out to help.” I watched Charlotte visibly relax.

“Thank god. I’m going to get a coffee.” Charlotte disappeared

I turned my attention back to Oliver and Laurel, who was clutching a box in her hand.

“What’s that?” I asked

“He had it with him.” Laurel handed me the box; I opened it, immediately recognizing the ring. It had been his mother’s, and his grandmother’s. Tommy had kept it in a dresser drawer for as long as I had known him.

“He’s going to make it, Laurel.” _He has to._

I heard a commotion by the entrance, and then a familiar voice. I pushed my way through crowds, seeing Ray giving CPR to a woman on a stretcher.

“Sir, I can take over.” A doctor stated

“Help him, I can keep doing this.” Ray replied

“Somebody will be here to help him in a minute, I can take over now.” The doctor objected

“I understand you have protocols, but I don’t think you are in a place to turn down help. I have three doctorates, I can handle this. Sidney Palmer, your bosses’ boss, would be happy to vouch for me. Now, every second you’re arguing with me, that guy is losing more blood.” Ray snapped

The doctor gave up and went to help the other guy.

“Ray!” He looked up at the sound of my voice.

“Felicity, why are you here? Are you okay?” Ray asked

“I’m fine, it’s...it’s Tommy. It’s bad.” I stated

Another doctor arrived to take over for Ray, this time he didn’t protest.

“You’re supposed to be in Coast City.” I remarked

“People are dying, Felicity. I couldn’t just leave.” Ray replied, “What happened to Tommy?”

“He was trapped under debris. Lost a lot of blood, did a lot of damage. He’s being operated on, I don’t know much else.” I sighed

“I’ll see if I can get his file.” Ray stated

“Thank you.” I replied

  
Time passed by so slowly. Hours ticked by. It was nearly five AM before the doctor came out to speak to us.

“He’s still unconscious, but he’s stable.” I let out a sigh of relief, “He’s going to have go through physical therapy, but he’ll be okay.”

“Can we see him?” Laurel asked

“I can’t say when he’ll wake up, but you can certainly wait in his room.” The doctor glanced down at his papers, “Room 193.”

I leaned on Oliver as we walked down the long hallway. I was too exhausted to function.

He looked so pale, laying in the hospital bed. Laurel rushed to his side, immediately sitting in the chair right next to the bed, holding his hand. Oliver and I sat on the tiny couch, me curled up against his side.

I stared at the machine hooked up to Tommy, finding the steady beeping of his heart rate comforting, until my eyelids got too heavy to keep open.

  
The welcomed sound of Tommy’s voice woke me up. I didn’t open my eyes, because I could tell Oliver and him were having a conversation, unaware I was awake.

“I’m really sorry I’ve been such an ass.” Tommy stated

“Stop apologizing, Tommy.” Oliver sighed

“Are you two…” Tommy trailed off.

I suddenly felt Oliver’s fingers on my hair.

“I don’t know, exactly.” Oliver replied

_Time to let them know I’m awake_. I yawned as I opened my eyes.

“Morning, sleepyhead.” Tommy laughed, then winced, “Laughing is a no go.”

“How long have you been awake?” I asked

Laurel was sleeping soundly in the chair next to Tommy’s bed, her hand still grasping his.

“A few minutes.” Tommy replied

“You had me scared there for a while.” I teased as I stood up.

“Sorry about that, I’ll try not to almost die again.” Tommy gave a weak smile as he grabbed my hand. “Sorry about the things I said before, too.”

“You had every reason to be angry, Tommy. It’s okay.” I leaned down to kiss his cheek.

Laurel suddenly jerked awake, her eyes immediately landing on Tommy.

“Hey there.” Tommy smiled at her.

“Hi.” Laurel replied with a smile.

“We should probably leave you two.” I stated, “We’ll be back in a few hours to visit.”

  
“I guess there’s no point rebuilding if you’re done being the Hood.” I stated as Oliver and I stood in what was left of the Arrow cave.

“You sound disappointed.” Oliver remarked

Truth be told, I was a little disappointed. Despite the stress, I enjoyed helping people, helping make the city safer.

“A bit, maybe.” I admitted

“I thought you’d be relieved.” Oliver replied

“I am, but I like helping people.” I picked up a note from the desk.

**Went to see Carly. Be back in a few hours. – Dig**

“I did this to honor my father’s wish to right his wrongs. I did that. The Undertaking is over.” Oliver stated

“You know, you can still have a life and save people.” I grabbed his hand, lacing my fingers through his. “But I think that if you do keep doing this, it shouldn’t be about your father. It should be about you, and doing it because you want to help people. You know I support you in whatever you decide either way.”

“I know. Nothing has to be decided right now.” Oliver sighed, “Right now, all I want to is sleep. I’m exhausted.”

“Me too, let’s get out of here.” I stated

Oliver slung an arm around my shoulder as we walked out of the Arrow cave, pulling me close.

“So, about that proper date.” I could _hear_ the grin in voice, “How does Friday sound?”

“As in tomorrow?” I laughed, “Sounds soon.”

“I’d say it’s a few years overdue.” Oliver replied

"Friday sounds perfect."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so. I am still undecided; my original plan was to end this here and then have a 'five months later' kind of thing to show how it all worked out, but I'm kind of thinking of doing another chapter to show the weeks that followed the Undertaking. I'm not entirely sure yet. I'm not sure it'll be necessary. BUT if I do go ahead with the time jump chapter, I'll probably write some bonus stuff for the companion series with the immediate aftermath.  As always, thoughts are welcome. 
> 
> I'm so sad to see this story come to an end, but I'm really excited about my next story. It's way more AU, as in, no Arrow, which I have never done before. Actually I have a couple of stories that I'm working on, I just haven't decided which I want to focus on, although they are both very AU.


	19. Six Months Later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, first off...I'm so sorry about the wait for this. I've had a lot going on, which I'll explain in the end notes. I haven't had the motivation to write, and while I'm still not entirely pleased with this, I'm going ahead with this.
> 
> FYI; this starts six months after the Undertaking.

“Mama, you look so pretty!” Lexi exclaimed

It was the first chance all day that I got to see Lexi in her champagne colored dress, a flower crown wrapped around her pinned up hair.

“Oh, baby girl, you look gorgeous.” I hugged her, careful not to mess up either of our dresses.

“Are you ladies ready?” My mother stuck her head in the room.

“We are.” I replied

Thea linked her arm through mine as we entered the hallway.

“Oh god, I hope I don’t fall in these heels in front of all those people.” I mumbled

“You’ll be fine.” Thea laughed

“Time to go, Miss Queen.” The wedding planner, a tall brunette with a no-nonsense attitude and a clipboard permanently attached to her hand, whispered, ushering Thea forward.

“You’ll be fine.” Thea whispered with a giggle before disappearing through doors of the church.

“Miss Smoak, you’re up.” The woman snapped

Taking a deep breath and focusing on not falling, I stepped inside the church. I scanned the church, my eyes landing on Oliver at the alter; he looked so good in that tux. He locked eyes with me, a smirk on his face, mouthing a ‘hi’.  I tore my eyes away as the music changed, looking towards the doors. Lexi emerged, spreading flowers from her heart shaped basket, and then Laurel stepped into view. Laurel looked every bit the perfect bride; her hair perfectly pinned up, her make up simple but beautiful, and her dress was stunning, a ball gown that looked like it belonged in a fairytale. I looked to Tommy, the smile on his face could light up the entire city. It made me smile wider.

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate love, the love between Thomas Merlyn and Laurel Lance.” The officiant announced

I glanced towards the guests, it wasn’t a particularly large amount of people, but I still didn’t recognize most of them. I knew a few of them from high school, and Walter and Diggle were in the crowd, as well Roy, who looked uncomfortable without Thea, who was at my side. Ray was in the second row, behind Laurel’s parents, Anna at his side and Lexi in his arms. My eyes landed on Oliver, finding him already watching me, a look on his face I could only describe as a combination of longing and hopefulness. The look confused and surprised me.

 _Tommy and Laurel. Focus. Their day._ I turned my attention back to them. I didn’t really listen to the officiant, his words basically the same I’d heard at every wedding I’d ever attended.

“This moment is the anchor that holds your past and your future together. Tonight, with these vows you have written, you are beginning a journey together that will last the rest of your lives. No other human ties are more tender, and certainly none are more sacred than those that you share with each other now.” I was excited, and curious, to hear Tommy’s vows. Laurel had let me hear hers, but Tommy had kept his to himself; Oliver hadn’t even heard them. 

“Laurel, I know it won’t come as a surprise to you, or anybody here today, to know that I spent most of my life believing I would never fall in love, and that marriage seemed like a ridiculous concept,” Tommy’s words earned a few chuckles, and I noticed an eye roll from Quentin, “I remember once as teenagers, I told you I did not believe in soul mates. I will never forget your reaction, rolling your eyes and promising that one day somebody would change my mind. You did. You changed everything for me. You never tried to change me, but you did. You made me want to be a better person, someone deserving of you. I still don’t think I do, but know me better than anyone else in this world, and somehow you still love me. There is still a part of me today that cannot believe that I'm the one who gets to marry you.”

 _Damn it, I wasn’t going to cry today,_ I reminded myself.

“I can’t promise you that I will be the perfect husband, we both know that isn’t likely, but I promise that I will be at your side for the rest of our lives, that I will always do everything in my power to make you happy, to be the shoulder you cry on when you’re sad. Above all, I promise that I will love you every moment of every day.”

I carefully wiped at my eyes, thankful for water proof mascara. It was only as he finished speaking that I realized he wasn’t reading from a piece of paper; _did he seriously memorize all that?_ I was amazed.

 

 _My best friend is married._ The thought was playing in my mind on a loop. _Tommy Merlyn, a married man._ I was standing in the ballroom on top floor of the high rise hotel, staring out at the city lights. We had been taking photos for over an hour, and my heels were killing me. Oliver had stayed behind to take a few more pictures with Tommy.

“You alright, dear?” My mother approached

“Of course. I’m just a little emotional, I guess.” I laughed

“That happens at weddings. Oh, here, thought you might want these.” My mother opened her large purse, fishing a pair of black flats out.

“Oh, you’re the best.” I stated, gladly slipping out of my heels.

My mother simply smiled in response, sipping at her red wine. I squealed in surprise as arms wrapped around my waist from behind me, even though I instantly knew it was Oliver.

“Hi Oliver.” My mother chuckled

“Hi Donna.” Oliver greeted my mother pleasantly, they had become fast friends over the last six months. “You look beautiful.” His voice was right next to my ear, and so low I was sure my mother didn’t hear it.

“I’ll catch up with you too later. I better go find Quentin.” My mother disappeared into the crowd.

“Let’s go get something to drink and find our seats.” I suggested

There was a bar against the far wall, and we spotted Quentin leaning against it.

“It’s soda.” He offered before I could ask.

“I wasn’t going to ask. My mom’s looking for you.” I stated

“Right. Better go find her then.” Quentin replied

I sighed; things were still tense between Oliver and Quentin, despite mine, Laurel’s, and my mother’s, best efforts.

“What can I get you two?” The bartender asked

“I’ll have whatever red wine you have.” I replied

“I’ll have the same.” Oliver replied

Before he could pour our wine, I heard Lexi’s voice.

“Mama! Daddy!” Lexi came barreling towards us; Oliver quickly moved his arm from around my waist to catch her.

“There’s my beautiful girl.” Oliver exclaimed as he scooped her up. “I missed you today.”

Lexi giggled as Oliver kissed her cheek.

“Daddy, that tickles.” Lexi laughed, touching his cheek. His stubble definitely could tickle. Lexi wiggled, clearly wanting down. She was very hyper.

“Daddy, I want to go see grandma and grandpa.” Lexi stated 

“Fine.” Oliver kissed her cheek again, “We’ll see you in a few minutes.”

I watched as she ran off towards my mother.

“Here’s your wine.” The bartender motioned to the glasses on the bar.

“I’m ready to sit down. I feel like I’ve been standing for hours.” I laughed

“That’s because you have been.” Oliver replied

We found our spots at the front table, taking our places next to Thea.

“I didn’t expect anything less, but this wedding has been so gorgeous.” Thea remarked as she looked around the reception.

“It has.” I agreed; Everything was very glamorous and classic, it certainly was beautiful. Not necessarily my style, but it was definitely Laurel’s.

“I want something simpler for my wedding, personally.”

Thea and I both turned to look at Oliver, surprised; Oliver talking about what he wants for his wedding was unexpected, to put it mildly.

“You...Oliver Jonas Queen...have thought about what you want for a wedding.” Thea was dumbfounded.

“Kind of hard not to when I’ve listened to wedding planning nonstop for six months.” Oliver shrugged, but refused to make eye contact with me. I decided to not to comment on it, it wasn’t a discussion for our best friends’ wedding.

The music in the background changed to a familiar song, and I looked towards the entrance; I had been present for the argument about what song they should use for their introduction. They had landed on a song by Michael Buble. The DJ announced their arrival to a round of applause.

“They look so happy.” Thea stated with a smile.

“They look a little disheveled.” Oliver said in a hushed tone, low enough for only me to hear. I chuckled, noting that yes, Tommy’s hair was definitely a little less neat than it had been. They headed straight for the dance floor for their first dance. I watched with a smile as I rested my head on Oliver’s shoulder, while he wrapped his arm around mine.

“Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Merlyn.” I grinned as they approached at the table.

 

The next hour and a half flew by; dinner was amazing, the toasts were beautiful, and dance floor was now filling up with people.

“Felicity, come with me.” Thea had been dancing with Roy before suddenly appearing back at our side. I glanced at Oliver, who shrugged.

“Okay.” I stood up, following Thea towards the bar.

“Two cosmos, please!” Thea requested; I could tell by her flushed face it wasn’t her first drink of the night.

“I love weddings.” Thea remarked, leaning against the bar.

“I know.” I laughed

“I guess yours will probably be next.” She was watching me for a reaction. _Wedding? It’s only been six months._

“Oh, I don’t know. You and Roy have been together longer.” _Shit._ I didn’t mean to put that out there. _They’re too young_. “Not that I think either of us will be getting married any time soon.”

“Please, Felicity. You and Oliver may not have officially been together that long, but you have history. Besides, for the first time in my life, I heard Oliver say something that would imply marriage is something he thinks about.” Thea stated

“Thea, let’s enjoy this wedding before worrying about another, okay?” I laughed

“Fine.” Thea pouted, “I’m going to go find my niece and dance with her.”

“Have fun.” I smiled, watching Thea sprint towards the table where Lexi was sitting with Ray. I glanced at the time on the wall.  I waited until Lexi was on the dance floor with Thea before heading towards Ray and Anna. Ray was deep in conversation with the man seated next to him, who looked vaguely familiar, probably from some charity gala.

“Felicity, you look lovely.” Anna smiled as I approached; truthfully, and surprisingly, I had grown to like Anna very much. She was an intelligent and sweet woman, who Ray seemed very happy with; they seemed like a good match.

“You as well, Anna.” I stated

“Felicity! Hey.” Ray greeted, finally realizing that I was there after wrapping up his other conversation.

“Hey, Lexi’s still staying with you tonight, right?” I asked

“Of course.” Ray replied

“Okay, good. God only knows what time I’ll get out of here.” I laughed

“We’ll take her home at a reasonable hour, I promise. I know she has school in the morning.” Ray stated

“She’s going to be so tired tomorrow.” I debated for a moment whether to say she should just skip school, but then remembered she had already missed two days the week before.

“We’re just waiting for the cake before we go. I don’t think Lex would take too well to being deprived of the cake she’s been starring at for the last two hours.” Ray laughed

“No, that wouldn’t go over well.” I agreed with a laugh, “We’ll keep an eye on her until then, you guys have some fun.”

Ray looked at Anna, extending his hand, “Dance?”

Anna hopped up quickly, and I made my way back to the table to find Oliver, but he was nowhere to be seen. Only my mother was at the table.

“Have you seen Oliver?” I asked

My mother nodded towards the floor to ceiling windows on the other side of the room, where Oliver was clearly deep in conversation with Quentin.

“Shocking, I know.” My mother remarked

“Who...initiated that?” I asked, wondering if I needed to recuse Oliver.

“Oliver. Believe me, Q was surprised too.” She laughed

I watched them curiously, trying to figure out if they were arguing or not. They didn’t seem to be. They both glanced up at the same time, looking at me, before Oliver said something and started walking towards the table.

“May I have this dance, Miss Smoak?” Oliver offered his hand, a smile on his face.

“You may.” I replied with a grin.

We passed Thea and Lexi on the dance floor, who both smiled and waved at us.

“So what were you talking to Quentin about?” I asked as he wrapped his arm around my waist.

“Nothing important.” It felt like a dismissal, but I decided to let it go for the time being, happy that they were having a civil conversation at all.

Oliver spun me around on the dance floor; this was a pleasant surprise I had discovered months before, that Oliver knew how to dance. It had been his mother’s insistence when he was a boy that he took lessons. Like piano, violin, and French lessons, it hadn’t lasted long before he quit, but he had picked a few things up.

As we swayed to the music, I noticed Oliver watching Lexi and Thea with a smile on his face; I knew that he was happy that Thea and Lexi had grown so close. Lexi adored Thea, almost as much as she adored Oliver. Oliver’s expression changed for a moment, a look I was familiar with and yet it confused me. _What are you thinking, Queen?_

“What’s on your mind?” I asked

“Nothing.” Oliver smiled

“Oliver, I know you. That,” I touched his cheek, “is your ‘I just realized something’ face.”

“I was just thinking about how much I love being her dad.” Oliver stated

“You’ve told me that a hundred times,” I smiled, “So I don’t think that’s it.”

“You’re not going to let this go, are you?” Oliver asked, sounding amused.

“Have you ever known me to?” I asked

“Honestly?” _That’s always preferable, Oliver,_ “I was thinking that I love being a father, and that I loved being a big brother growing up.”

 _Wait, what?_ That was not what I was expecting.

“Again, Oliver, not a revelation.” _What does one thing have to do with the other?_ I faltered in my dancing momentarily. _Is he saying he wants another child?_ “Are you saying you want to give Lexi a sibling?” I glanced around at the people on the dance floor, but nobody seemed to be listening to us, I was pretty sure nobody would have been able to hear us over the music anyways

“I don’t think this is the best place for this conversation.” Oliver remarked

“Probably not, but...” _It’s not like I’m going to be able to think about anything else now._

“Later,” Oliver promised, “If you don’t mind, I’m going to go steal our girl away from Thea for a dance before she goes back with Ray for the night.”

“Okay.” I was too surprised to say anything else. _Oliver wants another child?_

“Oliver, mind if I still your girl for a dance?” Tommy asked

“Not at all, but I suppose you’d have to ask her.” Oliver replied

“Of course.” I grabbed Tommy’s hand, watching as Oliver went to find Lexi.

“You alright?” Tommy asked

“Yeah, absolutely. And I’m so happy for you.” I stated

Tommy brushed my hair back behind my ear.

“I know when you’re lying to me. You’re practically my sister. Well, I guess in a legal sense you are now.” Tommy remarked

I hadn’t thought about that before; _step-brother-in-law._

“Welcome to the family. Good luck.” I laughed

“Seriously, Lis, what’s up?” Tommy asked

“It’s nothing, I’m fine, great actually. It’s your wedding day, let’s focus on that.” I smiled, because it was true. I was great, I was happy.

“Okay.” Tommy seemed to accept that I was fine. “God, I can’t even remember the last time we danced together.”

“I think it was your senior prom.” I laughed

“Oh, right. You were my date.” Tommy laughed

“You didn’t want to go with anybody that would expect it to mean more than it did.” I rolled my eyes.

“I was so smashed, I hardly remember it. I remember the dress though. Didn’t you get in trouble for breaking the dress code?” Tommy asked

“Yeah, and I had to wear your jacket the whole night. No backless dresses at a Starling Prep dance.” I laughed

“We had a lot of fun getting into trouble.” Tommy exclaimed

“Partners in crime for life.” I grinned

“For life.” Tommy laughed

“Mama!” Lexi pushed her way through the crowd, Oliver on her trail.

“Hey baby girl.” I smiled

“I’m going home with Dad.” Lexi announced

I scooped her up in a hug.

“You have fun, and be good,” I kissed her cheek, “I love you. I’ll see you after school tomorrow.”

“Okay, love you too, mama.” Lexi kissed my cheek. I handed Lexi to Oliver, who mumbled about how he’d be back once he gave her to Ray.

The DJ announced it was time for the bouquet toss, and I rolled my eyes as Thea grabbed my hand, dragging me to area where all the women had gathered, Single Ladies playing in the background. I had never really understood the point of this particular tradition; it always seemed so ridiculous. I looked past the crowd of women, my eyes landing on Oliver. He was watching with a grin, chatting with my mother.

“Felicity!” Thea got my attention just in time; I grabbed the bouquet just before it could hit me in the face.

“Nice catch.” Thea grinned

“Laurel probably tossed it towards me on purpose.” I laughed

“Or it’s just fate.” Thea teased

“Thea, it’s just a silly tradition.” I laughed

“Yeah, I know, but it’s still fun.” Thea laughed

I posed for a few pictures with Laurel and the bouquet before setting off to find Oliver.

“Nice catch.” Oliver remarked as I approached him.

“Thanks, I’m just proud I caught it before it hit me in the face.” I laughed

Oliver laughed as he leaned down to kiss me.

“I’m proud you did too. I was pretty sure it was going to fly right at you.” Oliver admitted

Before I could respond, somebody’s hand was on my back.

“We have an emergency.” Quentin spoke low enough for only me and Oliver to hear.

“Like a Maid of Honor and Best Man emergency or a real emergency?” I asked

“Real. There was a shooting at an event downtown and the mayor’s was kidnapped.” Quentin stated

“I guess we better go say our goodbyes to the bride and groom.” Oliver sighed

“I already did, I’ll call you from the precinct.” Quentin quickly headed for the exit.

“The city can’t just be okay for one night.” I sighed

“I’m a bit surprised it’s made it this late into the night.” Oliver laughed

We found Laurel and Tommy in discussion with somebody I vaguely remembered as Tommy’s cousin, who promptly excused herself as we approached.

“So, we’re going to call it a night.” It wasn’t hard to pretend that I was tired; I genuinely was exhausted.

“Are you sure? The real party is just starting.” Laurel laughed

“Guess we’re getting old, not much for partying these days.” Oliver replied

I hugged Laurel then Tommy.

“You two be careful.” Tommy whispered

“Always,” I mumbled, “Congratulations again, guys. Enjoy your honeymoon!”

 

“Quentin, do you guys have any leads?” I asked as soon as Quentin answered his phone. Oliver was already suiting up, I had barely reached the bottom of the stairs of the Arrow cave.

“No, nothing yet.” Quentin replied

“I’ll see if I can find anything, keep me posted.” I hang up the phone, powering on my computers.

“I’m going to hit the streets, see if I can find anybody that knows anything.” Oliver stated

“Are you going to call Roy?” I asked

“No, not unless I have to. He’s getting a little too curious.” Oliver replied

“If I was helping a vigilante, I’d get a bit curious about his identity too.” I remarked

“I’ll be on comms.” Oliver stated

“Be careful.” I shouted after him as he took off.

I pulled the footage up from the event that the mayor had been kidnapped from, trying to find the suspect in the crowd. Or kidnappers, as it turned out. There were three. I started facial recognition and hopped up to change out of my dress, into a spare set of clothes I kept stashed in the desk.

As I sat the dress down on the cot, I heard a noise from behind me. I immediately grabbed the gun stashed under the pillow and spun around towards the noise.

“Woah, kiddo. Relax.” Quentin held his hands up.

“Announce yourself next time, Q.” I stated, dropping the gun back onto the bed.

“I’m impressed by your reflexes, but I sure hope Oliver’s taught you how to use that thing.” Quentin remarked

“Of course I know how to use it.” It was with reluctance that Oliver had let Diggle train me in firearms; it was with even greater reluctance that Oliver was teaching me how to fight. I was never going to be a fighter, but being able to hold my own in an emergency was important.

“Have you found anything yet?” Quentin changed the subject.

“The software is running now. Oliver’s trying to find what he can.” I replied

“Sorry you guys had to leave the wedding early.” Quentin stated

“We probably would have been heading out soon anyways. Although admittedly, I was hoping to go straight home.” I sighed

“You look tired. You gotta slow down, Felicity.” Quentin stated; It was true that I certainly kept busy, but it had became routine over the past five months; I worked at QC during the week until two, then picked Lexi up from school, spent the afternoons with her until her bedtime, then worked from my home office helping Oliver, unless Lexi was with Ray, then I came to Verdant.

“I’m fine, it’s just been a particularly busy week.” I replied, “So what did you and Oliver talk about earlier? I was surprised to see you two being civil.”

“I’m trying, Felicity. It’s hard to like the man after everything.” Quentin grumbled, “But it was nothing important.”

“That’s exactly what Oliver said.” It felt like a dismissal when Oliver said it, and it felt like it with Quentin did too. The computers started beeping and I turned my attention back to them as I put my comms in.

“Do you have an ID?” Quentin asked

“All three have criminal records, ranging from petty theft to attempted murder.” I listed their names, informing both Oliver and Quentin. “I’m trying figure out where they went by following them on the traffic cameras, they headed east when they left the venue.”

“I’ll head that direction.” Oliver replied

“I’ll send my guys.” Quentin wondered off to make a phone call.

Twenty minutes later, I was rattling off an address to the building they had taken the mayor into as I tried to hack into the building’s security cameras.

“I’m going to go.” Quentin announced

“Be careful.” I waved as he left.

“I’m in the building, do you know what floor?” Oliver asked

“Six. And bad news, there’s no elevator.” I stated, “It’ll be the third door on your left, Oliver. All three are armed.”

I heard the struggle, but it was less stress inducing than it used to be; _Oliver will be fine, he always is_. Still, I paced back and forth until his voice came over the comms.

“The mayor is safe. I’m on my way back.” Oliver stated

“See you in a few.” I replied

I kept myself busy straightening up the desk area until I heard the familiar sound of Oliver’s boots arriving in the Arrow cave, then he came into view, a gash over his eye bleeding. I sighed, grabbing the first aid kit. He sat down so I could reach his eye.

“God, I remember when I almost fainted at the hospital watching you get stitches.” I laughed, “Times have certainly changed.”

“They definitely have.” Oliver’s hands landed on my hips.

“While you have no choice but to sit here and talk, I’m going to ask this; what did you mean earlier? Were you...implying you want to give Lexi a sibling?” I hadn’t been able to think of anything else in hours.

“You want more kids, don’t you?” Oliver asked

“Of course. One day.” I watched his face for a reaction.

“I wasn’t suggesting we have a baby right now, but we’ve never really talked about the future. I wasn’t sure that was something you wanted.” Oliver replied

“I know we haven’t talked about it. I didn’t want to scare you off. It’s only been six months.” I joked

“I don’t scare easily.” Oliver laughed

“That’s true, you’re pretty tough.” I laughed before I kissed him. “It took us a long time to get here, to this place where we’re together and we’re happy, and I am happy with our life right now, and-“ Oliver kissed me, cutting me off.

“I’m happy, too, Felicity. I love Lexi. I love working together. I love our life together. I love our family. I’m in no hurry to change it.” Oliver wrapped his arm around me, pulling me against him.

“So let’s stick with juggling crime fighting, running a multi-billion dollar company and being parents of one for now, and worry about the future later.” I stated

“Agreed.” Oliver grabbed my hand, “Now, let’s go home.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, thank you all for hanging in there with me on this story. I hope you enjoyed it. I enjoyed writing it. I'm not quite done with it, but we've reached the end of this story. I will still be posting some stuff to the companion series, things filling in the time between this chapter and the undertaking, some flashbacks, etc. I'm just not ready to finish it. So you may want to subscribe to that story. I will also be starting a new story entirely, although it'll be under another account (I changed my name earlier in the year and wanted to start a new account). Anyway. Thank you all for the support, and patience. I know this chapter took forever; I recently lost a loved one and my grief kept me from writing. 
> 
> On a happier note, our pair is finally happy and married on the show. I can't even believe it. 
> 
> Thank you all again <3
> 
> By the way...keep your eyes on the companion series after the mid season finale. I have something almost ready, I’m hoping to get it up before bed, but if not it’ll be in the morning!


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